Between the Darkness
by blacktag189
Summary: Vengeance was only a fleeting moment of satisfaction. Once the blood dried I would - literally - be an orphan because I murdered the rest of my family. That sounded like the makings of a serial killer, a sociopath, a Circle member. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. We still needed each other to ensure survival but we didn't have to be in love with each other to do it. **Completed
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, settings, conspiracy theories or epic awesomeness of The Conspiracy of Us series. I am not making any money off of this story - just having some fun. All the glory goes to Maggie Hall - may she continue to write stories about Stellan for all time.

A/N: This story picks up right at the end of Map of Fates. So...finish reading before you proceed. M for a reason kiddies... Also - I just realized (now that the story is over of course...blerg) that I spelled Luc's full name wrong - basically the whole time. So my apologies there.

* * *

 **CHAPTER ONE**

Everything had gone blurry again. With one quick blink the intricate white damask swam back into focus on the grey wallpaper and I felt my eyes water with the effort. These contacts were going to be permanently stuck to my eyeballs if I didn't remember to blink. Then almost immediately I felt it build again through my body. I clenched my teeth as it boiled up from the pit of my stomach, my hands balled up the comforter and I let out a short breath willing the feeling to leave. It wouldn't, I knew it wouldn't. I'd spent three days trying anything I could think of to will it away. Sleeping, not sleeping, eating, not eating, exercise, cold showers, pacing, meditation - nothing worked. The bile bite at the back of my throat as my hands shook from fatigue. I couldn't even formulate a plan for our next step. If that's what Lydia and Cole had been going for I guess I'd have to give them this win. Three days. We'd lost three days because I was so angry I couldn't function anymore.

The anger was the only thing keeping me afloat, my only anchor in this sea of wrong my life had become. I'd heard of people using anger as their driving force, but all it had done was stall me out. I pushed a long, slow breath out from between my aching teeth and blinked again. My hands cramped and I let my whole body release feeling burnt out and exhausted.

A knock came at the door and I ignored it. It had only taken a day of my angry stares for everyone to realize they needed to knock first. It had taken a second day for them to realize that I wasn't going to let any of them in. There were muffled words, an exasperated sigh, and then the door swung open - Elodie.

"Enough," she looked me up and down, her bangs falling across her eyes for a moment.

"What?" I croaked at her, my throat dry.

"That's enough, Avery." She crossed the room leaving the door open. "We have lost three days, we don't have time to mourn."

"Mourn?" I narrowed my eyes at her, "what makes you think I'm mourning?"

Elodie held back her immediate retort and surveyed me again with her critical eyes. She slowly stopped directly in front of me.

"If not mourning, then why have you exiled yourself to this room?"

I moved to stand but she shot out a hand and sat me back down on the bed.

"It is perfectly fine to feel how you do, you don't have to do this alone." Her fingers pressed into my shoulder and I shrugged her off.

"Leave please," I replied through my teeth, the anger swirling in my stomach.

"I will not. The Saxons have three days on us now. It seems that Lydia and Cole," she stopped only for a moment as I flinched at their names, "are planning something larger scale. There hasn't been another test."

"So do something then." I shook off her hand and moved to stand. I knew she wouldn't stop now that she'd gotten me talking. I also knew I wouldn't be able to hold in my anger for much longer.

"Not without you." Elodie said matter of factly and crossed her arms over her chest. "We understand you are upset but the time for action…"

"I'm not upset." I snapped and then bit my lip trying, most likely in vain, to hold in the explosion.

"Then what are you?" She angrily countered. I saw flashes of movement next to the door - so I had an audience for this lashing. The anger exploded out of my mouth before I could stop it,

"I'm furious. You all know that. I am so angry I can barely breathe. I don't want to take it out on any of you, but I don't know how to stop it."

"You think some anger is going to push us away," she gave a little snort, "I highly doubt you could be scarier than Madam Dauphin."

"You don't get it. The five of you are all I have left now. If I push you away then all of this was for nothing. My mother died for nothing!"

"And if we just sit in this house until the next attack it will all have been for nothing as well." Elodie countered and rose an eyebrow at me.

I saw the flash of a white shirt at the doorjamb and focused my anger there, "get in here you two."

Jack and Stellan cautiously entered, sticking close to the wall, not making eye contact. It would appear Elodie was the only one that had the balls to confront me.

"Avery," Elodie dropped her arms, "We might be the only people in this world that understand your anger. We're all orphans because of the Circle."

For a second the anger caught in my chest, frozen, for the first time. I looked at each of them and could imagine all of our lives spiraling out from this current destiny. I could see our fates in a Circle-less world. I could see Elodie chatting and laughing at a cafe in Paris, I could see Jack and his friends cheering at a football match, I could see Stellan teasing his sister during dinner with his family. I could see myself graduating from the same high school I had started with - my Mom waving from the crowd. My eyes burned again and I let them slide closed, the pooled anger slowly simmering in the center of my chest.

Perhaps they were, literally, the only people who understood. Elodie understood enough to know to call me an orphan despite having a parent still alive. I heard Jack nervously clear his throat and popped my eyes back open, blurry and burning.

"You're right." I whispered, and watched all three of them let out a collective sigh of relief. "I just don't know how to channel this," I pressed a hand to my throbbing knot of anger in the center of my chest, "into anything productive."

"This is a moment of regrouping," Elodie started slowly. "We have drawn the line, now it's time for everyone to pick sides. We need to convince people we are the winning side."

"There are whispers everywhere but no decision. It would seem that the Saxons have come to the same realization." Jack palmed the back of his neck, "Scarface reports that there has been very little Circle activity at the manor since they returned from Paris."

"We can still pull ahead if we're a little more strategic about our next steps." Elodie started to build steam when I turned to look at her.

"If you three have been doing all this recon without me why haven't you made a choice yet?" I rubbed at my eyes again, the contacts painfully tacky. When I pulled my hands away I saw Stellan staring at me. He held my gaze only for a moment before his eyes slid down my body to rest on my locket. His words washed over me,

' _The Circle might not have a single leader, but the closest to it is you. And if we were together, us._ '

The Circle needed a leader. Apparently, I was that leader.

"Alright," I rubbed my eyes again and felt a contact flop out and onto the ground somewhere. The boys moved to look for it when I waved them off. "They're ruined anyway. Let me change them and ask Colette to join us in the kitchen if she isn't too busy."

I pulled the other contact out of my eye and tossed it in the trash as Stellan and Elodie left the room. I felt, more than saw, Jack slowly shadow me to the bathroom. I fumbled around with my clear contacts box before spinning around to face him.

"What Jack?"

"I have been thinking." He stopped and passed me my bottle of contact solution. "Now that the Circle know that Stellan is The One…"

He leaned against the bathroom counter, rubbing his hand over his compass tattoo. Through my blurry vision I could see his brow furrow and his jaw tense before he met my eyes. The anger in my chest bubbled at his hesitation and I bit my tongue to stop the retort before nodding for him to continue.

"He is the only one with family left. I'm afraid they might use her as leverage. We need to secure his sister."

"But Stellan told me she was secure. Are you saying you think she's in even more danger after what happened in Paris?" My voice cracked from misuse over the last few days. I busied myself at the sink putting drops in my eyes and blinking away the excess water. Jack quickly closed the door and I looked up startled. He moved closer before mummering,

"Stellan might think she's safe, but unless we have constant eyes on her that means Lydia and Cole might have eyes on her. The safest place for her is with us." He stopped for only a moment - thinking.

"What is it?" I tapped my contacts box impatiently on my arm. "You obviously don't want anyone to hear this." I gestured toward the door.

"I just," he stopped for a moment and with a deep breath looked directly into my blurry eyes, "I might not be as close as I once was with Stellan, but I do know this about him. If it comes down to it - he will always choose his sister. I don't want to put him in a position to have to make that choice."

He didn't have to say what he really meant, it was ringing clear through all his hesitation. But he at least had the decency to look away as I slowly nodded in agreement. If it came down to choosing me or even himself or his sister - Stellan would choose to save his sister. I couldn't blame him, but then everything would be lost. Both of us had to stay alive. We had to eliminate this option from the Saxons.

"Also, Scarface has been attempting to bolster the ranks for us. We'll need to make a trip through London at some point so they can be sworn to you."

I turned to the mirror and quickly placed my contacts in as an idea started to percolate up through all my scattered thoughts.

"Stellan told me he recognized Scarface. He was the Emir's Keeper, the one who was supposed to be dead. He has a," I started and Jack cut over me.

"Olive branch tattoo under his compass tattoo." Jack nodded. "Stellan told me as well."

"What if," I started, dropping the contact box to the counter when there was a knock at the door.

"We're ready," Elodie called from the other side and without another glance at each other we made our way out of the bathroom toward the kitchen.

Colette sat at the head of her kitchen table, Stellan to her right. Elodie moved a giant vase of lilies from the center of the table before taking a seat to Colette's left. Jack settled in next to Elodie and I slowly sank into the other head of the table.

"So," she clasped her hands onto the smooth white tabletop. "What's next?"

I leaned back in my chair for a moment trying to gather my thoughts. I hadn't forced myself to think in so long now. At least it seemed so long that my temples ached from the lack of clarity. Lydia and Cole had a version of the weapon. We didn't know how much, or when they would next strike. But, we did know that they would be attempting to bring Circle families to their line of thinking. That meant that our most important mission was to gather support from the Circle faster than they could.

We had the prophecy on our side. Stellan and I were what was promised now that the 'union' was complete. If Luc's goodwill mission back in Paris was working we at least had the Dauphin's on our side, but that wouldn't be enough. I looked back down at the group and my eyes landed on Colette, large purple bags hung under her eyes almost permanently now.

"Colette and Jack - you're going to America." It fell out of my mouth even before the entire plan had solidified in my brain.

"Pardon?" Colette rose a skeptical eyebrow at me.

"We need more families on our side. If Luc's goodwill mission worked we have the Dauphins. You still have a link to the Fredrick's, it's our in. Plus, if Stellan's observation of Scarface is right it might mean that Xan is actually still alive. We could use some more man power."

Both Colette and Jack opened their mouths to protest but then thought it through and closed them sinking into silence.

"Elodie - you're going to Russia." I said next.

"No." Stellan snapped and turned startled eyes on me.

"Work with Stellan on the location of his sister. We need to get to her before the Saxons do. Bring her back here to us. She needs to stay with us, wherever we move she moves, so she can't be used as leverage." I took a steadying breath and looked directly at Stellan.

His eyes blazed with anger, but deep in them I could see the panic start to rise at the thought of it. The thought of Lydia and Cole getting to her before we could, what they might do to her, torture her to say when she didn't know anything. With a curt nod he broke our gaze and concentrated on the table.

"But what about you?" Elodie asked.

"I'll be fine. I'll stay here with Stellan." I folded my hands and moved to stand before Stellan interrupted.

"I want to go to Russia."

"You can't." I quickly answered.

"Send Elodie with Colette and keep Jack here with you." He countered.

"That won't work Stellan. Everyone should leave tonight." I said it as a dismissal but Stellan leaned forward and everyone else leaned back in anticipation.

"It has to be me, she won't trust anyone else coming to get her."

"Then send something with Elodie that will comfort her, something that she'll know only you could send." I moved to stand again, the group hesitating around me.

"But," he started and I clenched the edge of the table with my hands. It did not go unnoticed.

"No." I barked. "The two of us have targets on the backs of our heads now. We don't know who is working with who yet. The point is to keep both of us alive." Everyone flinched as I finished in a yell. I closed my eyes, trying to settle before finishing. "If something goes sideways in Russia you would protect your sister before yourself. None of this works if you die, Stellan."

Jack started fiddling with his phone and Elodie examined her manicure. Only Colette seemed to be glancing between the two of us. I exhaled and slumped back into my padded chair.

"You three told me to come out here. You told me I needed to lead you. That's my order." I swallowed hard against the swelling worry that was starting to creep back into my body. I didn't like everyone leaving again. Maybe this was a mistake. But the only way to recover the ground we lost was to split up.

"I already have tickets. We leave in twenty Colette." Jack shoved his phone back into his pocket.

"Please tell me it was at least first class." Colette pushed back from the table and stood, they looked at each other and she made a disappointed sound in the back of her throat.

Elodie turned to Stellan and started planning in French. With a few nods they stood and moved back toward his room. I continued to sink further into the padded dining room chair. My bare feet smoothed across the heavy rug under the table as I looked out toward the manicured shrubbery of Colette's private villa. No matter how many times I was ushered into a new location I was still having a hard time adjusting to all the opulence. This padded wingback chair was more comfortable than most of the beds I'd slept in back in America.

Colette was laughing in a back room, chatting quickly in French before I heard a door close. Without warning a duffle bag landed next to me and Jack zipped it up resting his eyes on me.

"You did the right thing Avery."

"Sure I did." I gave him a withering look. "None of you will have to deal with Stellan. He can't even storm off to drink because A," I rose a finger toward him, "someone will attempt to kill him and B," I held up another finger, "if he leaves I'm defenseless."

"It will be fine. We've all had to carry out orders that we weren't thrilled with." He looked toward the back of the house.

"That's just it though." I lowered my voice to a near whisper, "who is in charge here Jack? He has just as much claim as I do, we're the yin and yang of this stupid mandate."

"It will," he stopped, thinking. "Stellan can," he stopped again as we both looked over as Elodie clicked into the kitchen, zipping up a jacket.

"Stellan is a big boy," she shot me a smile. Of course she'd heard, Elodie missed nothing. "He can take it."

I frowned and sunk deeper into the padding of the chair. Colette emerged wearing a baseball hat and zip up hoodie. She slung a small overnight bag over her shoulder,

"Luc might drop by. He said he had some updates. I didn't tell him what we were all doing."

"It should take me a day to get to Anya in Russia, and probably two to get back." Elodie checked some pockets and then straightened.

"Likewise, we shouldn't be in DC for longer than a day. We'll have our answer pretty quickly and I already have a contact set up over there to go with the Keeper theory." Jack slung his bag over his shoulder. "Ready?" He looked at Colette.

" _Au Revoir!_ " Colette pushed giant sunglasses onto her face and then waved to Stellan. He had silently snuck up on us and was standing at the kitchen counter. He thinly smiled and the three took off. Once the door shut we looked at each other for a moment, mirthlessly. Then without a single word we both went back to our own rooms.

* * *

After I'd watched the news anchors change for the fourth time I turned the TV off. It was always the same projection of what the past two weeks of terrorism could mean. It was midnight now and despite the near constant indigestion from my anger I realized I was hungry. Stellan was still nowhere to be seen. I thought for sure I would have heard him ambling through the house at some point during the day but I hadn't. Perhaps he was like me - anxiously waiting. Only his waiting would be rewarded with something I would never have again. The thought caused a flash of bile at the back of my throat that pushed me to my feet.

I was fumbling through the fridge when I finally heard a door close. With a quick peek around the fridge door I saw him stretch above his head and come to stand behind me. I settled on some leftover pasta. Despite grabbing it with purpose Stellan didn't move, forcing me to duck around him toward the microwave.

As I sat down at the table, in my same spot from earlier in the day, he tossed his makeshift sandwich at the table. It flopped around coming a bit undone before he settled on the seat to my right. Without even looking at me he adjusted it and started to eat.

"I thought you'd eat in your room." I casually threw out, anything to break up the silence.

"The camera's aren't as well positioned in the kitchen." He pointed to an almost invisible globe in the corner of the ceiling. "It's easier to babysit you in person."

"Babysit," I retorted and then looked over at him. "You've been spying on me all day?"

"It's not spying when I've been ordered to do it." He answered and shoved another bite of his sandwich in his mouth.

"I didn't order," I started and then just stopped. I hadn't ordered him to, but he was still going to punish me anyway. Engaging in this would only make me explode with anger which wasn't fair to either of us. We should be a team about this, we were a good team, but something had changed since the Paris Fashion Show. I couldn't figure it out and I had been so preoccupied with my vengeance that I'd missed all the little moments that could have clued me in to what it was.

I'd lost my appetite. I looked at the half eaten bowl of pasta and pushed it away. Stellan was finishing off the last of his sandwich and rose an eyebrow at me.

"Good night." I mumbled and grabbed my bowl. As I rinsed it out he cleaned up his own makeshift dinner. We both turned to go in opposite directions and he took a breath, as if deciding something, before murmuring to me across the silent hallway,

"Just because it was the right choice doesn't mean I have to like it."

"I'm sorry, Stellan." I murmured back.

"There is nothing to be sorry about _kuklachka_." He replied and slunk around a corner back to his room.

I felt it then, battling against the pooling anger and swirling anxiety within me - the nervous fluttering in the pit of my stomach. I hadn't felt that between us since...Cannes? I couldn't remember now so much had happened. I tugged on a pink highlight, contemplating, and then shuffled toward my room.

I shut the door and scanned the walls and the ceiling before I finally spotted the small white bump in the far corner of the room. It was perfectly placed, you'd be able to see everyone coming in and out of the bedroom door, you could see the bed, you could see the bathroom entry, even the window. I moved to stand right under it and stared at it for a long minute knowing that Stellan was watching me. Maybe he wasn't. Maybe he was already asleep, or catching up on all his favorite television shows. That thought made me internally laugh and I turned from it with a small smile.

Stellan watching TV shows. What would he even watch? Something ridiculously French probably. My phone buzzed on the nightstand and I grabbed it to see a single word,

 _Yes?_

I texted him back:

 _Babysitting usually entails direct involvement. This is just voyeurism._

It pinged back instantly:

 _It's only voyeurism if it arouses me._

I was glad my back was to the camera now because I could feel the flush forming across my cheeks. I stared at the phone for a long moment unable to think of any come back. I marveled again at how often Stellan was able to render me speechless. The idea of him watching me took me right back to that night in this same house. His room, his clothes coming off, tasting like vodka and limes. My face flushed further and I texted back:

 _I thought you'd be into that._

There wasn't even time to breathe before my phone buzzed in my hands:

 _Oh, kuklachka, you have no idea what I'm into._

I looked to the side and laughed, then shook my head and moved to the bathroom. It had now been three days since I'd taken a shower and if my current insomnia was planning to make a re-appearance tonight I'd need to find some way to fill the hours. I set the phone down on the bathroom counter and turned on the rain shower, the pipes creaking in the wall before it started to steam.

"Want some company?" Came from the doorjamb and I jumped at least a foot in the air and spun around.

"Jesus Stellan!" I screeched at him, clutching a hand to my chest. "What are you doing here?"

"I can't see you when you are in the bathroom." He sat on the bathroom counter.

"I appreciate the stellar service, but I think I can manage a shower without someone murdering me." I pulled a towel out from the cabinet and hung it next to the shower. When he didn't move I turned to face him and glared.

"History would dictate no," he leveled a challenging look at me. "I take my orders seriously."

I didn't take the bait and turned away from him removing my locket from my neck and setting it on the counter.

"Then I absolve you of your Keeper duties when I'm taking a shower. I'm not a toddler." I quipped. But I didn't hear him move. "Leave."

He slid off the counter and closed the door behind him and I took a big breath. The close proximity in this small bathroom had flooded me with the memory of how his lips had felt on my neck as I'd gasped for air, squirming on his lap. My body started to tingle from the sense memory but I just undressed and got into the shower.

* * *

At 2AM I was watching bizarre european music videos wondering if it was all a fever dream when my phone buzzed again:

 _Can you even enjoy these music videos when you don't understand the language?_

I looked at the small white bump in the corner of the room and rose an eyebrow. I texted back:

 _How could you tell that's what I'm watching?_

I shifted on the bed, pulling my tank top back down from my exposed midriff. My phone buzzed:

 _I have to find some way to stay awake. Do you ever sleep anymore?_

I sighed and just shrugged. A new video came on the screen, full of lasers and metallic boxes - it made absolutely no sense. A dark form filled my door jamb and Stellan seemed to drag himself through the room.

"Move over," he grumbled and I shifted slightly as he landed hard on the opposite side of the bed. "If you insist on staying awake you can wake me up if you hear anything."

"Is that what they teach you in Keeper school? Have Family warn you if something is wrong?" I joked and scrunched my face in confusion at the music video again.

"They teach us how many 5 Hour Energy's you can drink before your heart explodes." He replied and settled onto his side. The bubble of laughter escaped my chest and I looked over at him to see if he was being serious. He was.

"One day you'll have to tell me all your Keeper secrets." I settled back down into the pillows as another music video started up. We both tilted our heads to the right as the whole picture itself made a slow clockwise rotation on the screen.

"The first rule about being a Keeper is," his voice rumbled in his chest as he said it and paused looking at me.

"Don't talk about being a Keeper," I deadpanned and a ghost of a smile twitched on his mouth.

"Family, then Circle, then self." He replied. "And if you're going to sleep with a Family member - you better not get caught."

Another bubble of laughter rolled out from my chest to fill the quiet room and we both tilted our heads to the left as the music video shifted to a counter clockwise rotation.

"You're tired, _kuklachka_. You're getting punchy." Stellan smoothed the blankets right next to him and gave them a little pat.

"I'm always so exhausted I don't even know what tired feels like anymore." I yawned ignoring his invitation. My exhausted body told me to roll up against him, settle down and give in to oblivion. But the simmering vengeance in my chest whispered I could stay awake forever if I thought of ways I could beat Lydia and Cole to the tomb. I stuck in my spot as the TV channel sputtered to nothing but fuzz.

The static sound filled the room, like a white noise machine, and Stellan rolled toward me. He shifted until he was close enough that I felt his body heat along every inch of the left side of my body. The simmering vengeance sputtered and then cooled and I let myself relax just enough that our bodies touched. The sound of Stellan's breathing mixed with the white noise of the TV and my eyes slid shut for the first time in days.

* * *

I stretched languishly in bed, shifting my hips and back until they cracked and rolled right into something very solid. Stellan threw an arm over my hip, my backside spooning against his lap, and murmured something into my hair in Russian. The room suddenly seemed far too bright, the sun high above the house now, the TV was muted and rolling some kind of talk show. I attempted to move out of his grasp but his palm just smoothed further across my pelvis until his fingers brushed against the other hip. He shifted as well and I felt something hard press against the small of my back as another whisper of Russian fell into my hair. I was 90% sure what that was and I was 100% sure I wasn't ready to deal with that right now. Either because it was unintentional and would make things even more awkward between us. Or because it was completely intentional and if we stopped again in the heat of the moment I would literally die from embarrassment.

My stomach shuttered in anticipation, as Stellan shifted next to me. Was this really about to happen? Actually...finally...happen? I was torn between knowing I shouldn't do this, I should concentrate on everything we still needed to accomplish and giving in to the building throb between my legs. He might not even know he was doing this, he was still asleep, right? I held my breath, unsure if I should just jump out of the bed and then I felt his lips. The first line of kisses brushed across my shoulder toward my neck and the breath I'd been holding came out with a whoosh. His fingers snaked up under my tank top, his palm flat across my stomach as he dropped some more kisses onto the juncture of my shoulder and neck. It felt like all the blood in my body rushed toward where his hand was burning into my skin. His fingers inched slowly up my stomach and he whispered in my ear,

" _Dites-moi d'arrêter._ "

He shifted, his hips and hardness pressed against me with the movement, and I felt my pulse hammering through my body with every pump of my rapidly beating heart.

"What?" I whispered trying to steady my breath. I felt my lower back, under its own will, arch further into him. Stellan let out a small groan that sent a wave of goosebumps across my arms and planted a harder kiss on my shoulder.

" _Skazhi mne ostanovit'sya._ " He tried again in Russian his fingers brushing over ribs on their way north. A slow burn was licking out from somewhere above my pelvic bone across my body. I leaned into him, his hips shifted toward me, his hardness throbbed and we both took a shaky breath before melted back into each other again. His lips moved up my neck toward my ear and I felt my entire body flush with heat.

"English," I panted. "English."

His fingers reached the ribs just below my bra-less breasts. He ran a firm thumb across the rib, the back of his hand lightly brushing the bottom of my breasts and I let out a small pleading sound in the back of my throat as the licking fire burnt out any other lingering emotions in my chest.

"Tell me to stop." He whispered, his fingers froze on my chest - waiting. I was worried anything I said, even not to stop, was going to come out pathetically needy so I bit my lip and pressed harder into his length in response. "Avery," he growled and a wave of shivers raced down my spine.

With a move as swift as a jit-su flip I was suddenly on my back and Stellan was on top of me his head near the waistband of my pajama bottoms. His fingers dove under my shirt again, but this time they pushed the fabric up toward my breasts as he left a trail of kisses on his way toward my face. I couldn't help but squirm underneath him and then my hips rose against him and I looked up toward the ceiling sucking in a lungfull of air. His lips left the lightest kiss on the underside of my breast and I grabbed a fistful of his hair and yanked his face up to mine.

Our lips crashed into each other's, his weight fell onto me, pinning me to the bed. In between gasping breaths and frantically kissing I dropped my hands from his hair and started to pull his shirt off his back. With one swift movement he ripped it off and threw it at the wall, our stomachs now touching each other, and I knew I needed to take my tank top off - immediately.

I rose up against him and with a push to his left shoulder we rolled. Now he was flat on his back and I quickly straddled his lap, my pajama bottoms pulled tight against me as I settled down onto his hardness. We both let out small noises as his eyes widened and the gold flecks sparked against the blue. I tucked some hair behind my ear and he sat up his hands running up my bare back as I lifted my arms above my head. His eyes never left mine as he pushed the fabric up, we paused just gasping breath and throbbing bodies and then he threw the shirt aside. I felt him throb against the thin fabric of my pants and felt a surge of heady power wash over me.

Stellan would do anything I asked in that moment, his face vulnerable and feral at the same time. If his heavy breathing was any indication he was just as wound up as I was. Yet he was waiting, always waiting for me. The sense of power washed over me again and I knew, in that moment, that this was happening. We were going to happen. Not harmless flirting - this was the tipping point. He had been keeping a safe distance from me in this way since that night in Cannes for a very specific reason. I would unravel him if we touched like that again. All his tightly wound secrets, his carefully buried emotions, his trust - they would thread apart if I touched him one more time. So I did.

I pressed my breasts against his bare chest, his breath caught and then he pulled me against him and we fell back onto the bed. Pillows started spilling onto the ground, sheets were being kicked and pushed around by our feet. His lips were all over my face and then my lips. Deeper and deeper the kisses grew until I could taste him and he was pulling at the waistband of my pajama bottoms. My hands ran up onto his shoulders, cupping the back of his neck and he let out a hiss. I dropped my hands starting to pull away but he just expertly flipped me over so I was on my back again.

"Your scars," I panted as his mouth made quick work toward my breasts. "I didn't mean to," I started to say and then his mouth made contact with my nipple and the thought flew out of my mind to be lost forever. The burning throb in between my legs let out a pulse so strong a low moan escaped my mouth and I arched toward him. One hand came up under my back holding me there, his tongue teasing my left before moving to the right breast. My whole body was starting to build toward combustion with this frantic need for release I had never felt before. I could barely stand it. His hair tickling my collarbone, his mouth and hands expertly working me over, his own desire hard against my inner thigh. It built and built until I started begging him for something I couldn't even comprehend,

"Please, please Stellan."

One of his hands moved down to between my legs and over my pajama pants he pressed his fingers firmly onto the part of me that was almost too sensitive to be touched and moved them in quick circles the same moment his mouth found mine again. Blood roared into my ears, I bit down onto his lip and a small, strangled cry broke free from my throat as my world went white.

There were whispers in French as I started to fade back into existence, drunk on endorphins and buzzing with bliss. When I could start to make out the corners of the room from my blind eyes I sucked in the most delicious breath. It filled my lungs so deeply that my chest actually lifted Stellan a bit and he buried his head in my neck murmuring my name over and over again in his thick Russian accent. I trailed a hand slowly up his backbone eliciting a buck from his hips against the still tingling place between my legs. We both let out a gasp that quickly turned into a moan. I was caught somewhere between that white place of my orgasm and needing to fall into a deep, relaxing sleep. But I could hear it in his voice, feel it in the tension of his shoulder - the desperation.

"What can I do?" I whispered into his ear and he cursed into my shoulder and bit down hard. I sucked in a startled breath between my teeth, he pressed his length against my pajamas, and then quickly released my shoulder and blindly started slapping around the nightstand until he landed on the tissue box. He shakily grabbed a fistful and then re-adjusted himself. He teetered on top of me now one hand between both our legs, he leaned hard into his propped up arm and I felt his tongue lick around where he'd bit me before I felt his teeth again. My stroking hands quickly turned into claws and I raked them up his back as he tensed above me. Without meaning to do so my nails raked over his scars, he cursed, released me, and then convulsed all at once before collapsing next to me, our legs still tangled, his mouth leaving kiss after kiss on my injured shoulder.

" _Lyubov' moya_ ," he said and kissed my shoulder again. He kept repeating it over and over again until it petered out and I could hear his hitched breath smooth out into someone who was sleeping. I settled back into the pillows not even minding all the weight still on top of me and closed my eyes when I heard the knock from the front door.

" _Bonjour? Êtes-vous ici?_ "

It was Luc Dauphin. I surveyed the room. Pillows were everywhere, tissues littered across the floor, I couldn't find our shirts, the sheets were twisted and messy - this wasn't good.

"Stellan," I whispered. He groaned. "Stellan." I tried to sound a little more urgent.

"Stellan? Avery?" Luc called out, sounding much closer now. Stellan jerked and then quickly rolled off me and dashed for the bathroom.

"Hey!" I hissed at him and pulled the sheets up over my naked chest. He grinned and tossed me his shirt off the floor. I pulled it over my head and quickly jumped out of the bed - big mistake. My legs tried to give out, still shaking from the aftermath, and I stumbled and landed against the wall when Luc turned the corner. The bathroom door slammed shut and Luc jumped and then pressed his lips together his eyebrows rising on his face.

"Did I wake you Avery? I assumed you'd be done with lunch by now." Luc smiled at me, it was full of mischief and dread filled my gut.

"I was just," I trailed off and attempted to stand again, fumbled, and parroted back like an idiot, "Finishing up my lunch."

"Was it Stellan flavored?" Luc smirked his eyes shining.

I felt myself go scarlett and my mouth dropped open unable to speak. From inside the bathroom Stellan yelled out,

" _Quelle belle joue, Luc!_ "

" _Elle le rend trop facile!_ " Luc pouted and leaned against the doorjamb. Stellan appeared a moment later, flushed, his lower lip slightly swollen and he gave Luc a challenging stare.

" _Il est injuste du faire en français._ " Stellan entoned.

"Oh I agree," Luc smirked and looked the two of us over again for a moment. Stellan turned toward me moving to the bed when Luc's eyes went wide and he seemed unable to help himself, " _Elle est une peu sauvage?_ "

Stellan turned to face Luc again and positioned right in front of me. That line translated pretty easily when I saw Stellan's back. Scratches. Long fingernail scratches all up his back, over his tattoo, over his scars. I clamped my hand at my side so I wouldn't reach out to touch them and felt my shoulder pinch. My hand instinctively went to the soreness and lifted the shirt sleeve of Stellan's baggy shirt to reveal the forming bruises on my shoulder.

Luc clapped and then threw his hands at the ceiling as if this was all a gift from the gods to him. "Perhaps you are perfect little savages for each other."

I quickly dropped my shirt sleeve and crossed my arms over my chest. "Didn't you have an update you needed to give us?"

"But this is so much more fun," Luc teased. Stellan pointed to the living room and we all moved out toward it.

* * *

A/N - Special thanks going out to the always helpful and awesome maidenpride. So glad we've progressed to new obsessions together. To Laura - my French translator! You went above and beyond the call of translation duty! _Merci!_

Chapter Soundtrack:

Chains - Nick Jonas

Pillowtalk - Zayn


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

I picked at the fuzz on the throw pillow again as my brain started to run scenarios. Luc's news was both troubling and promising. The Dauphin, Mikado and Rajesh families were ready to pledge allegiance. If Jack and Colette were successful that meant a powerful front against the Saxons. But, as expected, allegiance came with a price. There would need to be assurances, both now and after the dust settled.

"We haven't even found the tomb yet, how can they expect assurance of power? We don't even know what's in the tomb." Stellan said from the opposite side of the couch from me. I rubbed my forehead and tried to concentrate, my thoughts still a little hazy.

"You know how these things go. Power and glory above all. They obviously think you're the bigger threat to the Circle than the Saxons and their manufacturing of the Order. You just have to keep up the illusion until we can work it all out." Luc shrugged and glanced over at me.

"Nothing we haven't done before," I replied and looked specifically at Stellan's scars still exposed since I was wearing his shirt. His eyes met mine and he shifted deeper into the couch. I turned back to Luc, "how exactly are your parents handling you being so close with the 13th Circle?"

Stellan stiffened a bit at the formal mention of what we were, but it was true. We were the 13th family in the Circle and in the process of forming had taken a Saxon Keeper and three members of the Dauphin's detail with us. If what Stellan had told me last night about Keeper school was right I'd imagine that also extended out to Luc - one of the only remaining male heirs of the Circle.

"It's delicate." He started and then abruptly stopped and looked up at me his eyes shining again, "How are we going to tell Jack and Elodie about this?"

"Your news?" I tried to keep it on topic, but Luc was grinning now.

"His scratches and your bite marks." He nodded toward Stellan. "A feral cat that broke into the house?"

"That seems highly improbable." I leveled back at Luc and rubbed my shoulder.

"Right, the bite marks are far too wide to be a cat." Luc leaned back in his chair and looked at Stellan again, " _Est-ce que c'était la peine ami?_ "

Stellan smiled and replied, " _Mieux._ "

" _Magnifique!_ " Luc rose from his seat and moved toward the bar. "Where does Colette keep the alcohol in this house? What's for dinner?"

Once Stellan had set Luc in the direction of the bar he locked eyes on me and inclined his head toward the bedrooms we were all staying in. I rose an eyebrow at him and then inclined my own head toward Luc who was making a mess of Colette's fridge looking for cocktail olives. Stellan shook his head and then called over his shoulder to Luc,

"I'm taking a shower."

Luc waved him off, pretty dismissively, and Stellan stood. I looked up into his face, he held out his hand and pulled me off the couch with a single tug. We moved toward our rooms as Luc let out a shout of triumph. At the fork in the hallway I moved to the right and Stellan grabbed my hand and pulled me to the left - in the direction of his room.

"But I won't have any clothes." I slowed as I said it but let Stellan keep gently tugging me toward his room.

"I could find something," he appraised his shirt on me with a smirk. I took a few more steps in the down the hall.

"What about Luc?"

"He'll be three drinks deep before we can even turn the water on." Another tug to my hand, a few more steps. My chest fluttered and I tried to turn it off with a steadying breath. It was becoming increasingly harder to tell Stellan no - about anything. Either I was starting to let my guard down, or he had been holding back in the charm department up until this point. Yet, I took a few more steps and stopped at his threshold. Stellan opened the door and I could see the end of his unmade bed and a lump of clothes on the floor before he filled the doorjamb blocking it all.

"Not ready for guests?" I tried to peek over his shoulder.

"I doubt some dirty clothes will be what you remember." He took a step backward into the room and waited. I licked my lips, the fact that I was being lured into his room by his bare chest was not boding well for my self control. I took another step.

It was crazy to think that the arrogant boy on the plane was the same man patiently waiting in front of me. He'd seen deeper into my soul than anyone ever had before with a single word - _toska_. His verbalizing it had broke open inside me the swirling mess of love and loss and longing I had kept so closely guarded. Something had always been missing and it was terrifying to realize it had been him. Anything could shatter this lifeline we were weaving with each other: the Saxons, the Circle, his past, my vengeance, Jack, Elodie. Everything was so intricately connected now, even my own relationship with Stellan. Neither one of us could seem to figure out how much of our attraction was to the person or to the power. Not exactly healthy relationship fodder.

"Maybe this is too fast _kuklachka_." He murmured and ran his fingers through the ends of my tangled hair. Once again he'd mistaken my hesitation as reluctance. I looked up at him,

"Maybe I know how fast is too fast."

His eyes widened with surprise and then a wicked smile pulled across his face. His hand dropped to the bottom hem of my shirt, rather his shirt, and he pulled me flush against him. The moment our bodies touched I could feel my heart rate rise, feel my tired and sore body soften to him, feel my breath quicken in my chest. Yes, this was a dangerously tangled lifeline we were weaving together but now I couldn't think of doing it with anyone else. It had to be him.

"Alright then," he smirked and practically drug me across the carpet toward the small bathroom. As my bare feet crossed the doorjamb he grabbed me roughly on both hips and lifted me to the countertop. Sitting on the marble I was almost as tall as him now and with a small push to my knee he slid between my legs. His hips hit the edge of the counter and let out a soft bang against a drawer. His fingers smoothed along the outsides of my thighs on his way up my body. As his warm hands followed the curve of my waist I wrapped my legs around his and with a small squeeze inched myself closer to him. He lifted the shirt sleeve on my injured shoulder his eyes landing on the deep purple bruise. His pointer finger burned along the outer edge of it.

"I couldn't help myself," he traced it again.

"Is that why you did it," I let the snark seep into my response and he leaned forward and gently kissed it.

"Actually," his lips dusted across my collarbones, "I was trying to stop myself from doing something else."

My pulse throbbed at my neck making me feel delightfully dizzy and I tilted my head to the side as he continued on his path across my collarbones. His hands ran up my thighs again and I gave him a squeeze with my legs.

"Now why would you stop yourself from doing anything?" I murmured. "You seem like the impulsive type to me."

"I thought you were a better spy _kuklachka_ ," he whispered against my collarbones on a second pass. "I'm very calculated."

"And what else are you?" I gave him another squeeze with my legs and his kiss was hard against my chest. He released me for a moment to lean over and closed the bathroom door. I leaned back against the mirror and bit my lip for a moment.

"In need of a shower." His long arm reached out across the short space and turned on the water. The pipes creaked in the wall before it sputtered to life falling to the tub below. Stellan ran a hand through his hair and then smiled down at me, "care to take me up on the offer this time?"

I looked over for a long moment, steam starting to rise up from the bottom of the tub.

"You sure we'll both fit in there?"

"I won't let you slip." Stellan smirked and let his hands wander from my thighs to the bottom of my shirt again. "Is this fast enough for you?"

He'd said it with the slightest edge of humor to it, but the question bounced around inside my head setting me off balance. Was I really about to have sex, in a shower, with Stellan? Stellan who had repeatedly saved my life but I still couldn't pronounce his last name? Stellan who had looked at me with such vicious glares only weeks ago that I was sure he wanted to kill me? Was I really about to lose my virginity to a man I had stabbed in the chest in order to escape the family he was working for?

Never missing a mood change from me, I felt his hands halt and he pulled back. The room was starting to fill with steam now, it was slowly falling from the ceiling creating a blanket of claustrophobia above us. "What is it Avery?"

I startled to attention as my name rolled off his lips and locked eyes with him, concern all over his face. How could he be my closest friend and a stranger at the same time?

"How many people have you slept with?" I didn't blink as I asked it and watched as his eyes widened for a moment before he replied,

"Seven."

"How many relationships have you been in?" I took in a small, steamy, breath.

"Two." He quietly replied. "Elodie and a girl named Chloe."

"How many people have you killed?" I whispered, the steam starting to billow around us.

"Don't ask questions you don't want to hear the answers to _kuklachka_." He whispered back and I held my breath and waited, staring deep into his eyes. He sucked in a large breath and then exhaled, "Five."

I let myself zone out for a moment, processing all these new numbers when he asked me, "when did you realize you wanted me and not Jack?"

My eyes snapped back to his own, and it was my turn to take in a long, damp, breathful of air. The space between us was thick with steam now and I bit my lip for a moment when he continued, "at the bar?"

"No," I exhaled and his eyes widened with surprise. "Right after you saved me from drowning. While we were still in the water."

"Do you regret getting on that plane with me?"

I felt sticky from all the steam, my hair was starting to curl at the ends, Stellan's chest was glistening from all the excess moisture in the air. I looked away from his face for a moment into the thick wall of steam as I thought back to it. Getting onto that plane with Stellan felt like a lifetime ago now. It was a lifetime ago - there was no going back to what I had once been. I don't think I could have run forever - what was my mom going to do when I went off to college? The thought of her made my chest compress and I sucked in a lungful of air - but it only made me feel worse, the steam choking me. Stellan placed a hand on my knee and I turned back to him,

"No." I reached out and touched the edge of one of his scars, "Do you regret it?"

"The only thing I regret," he moved closer, my hand slipping across his shoulder, "is not killing Lydia and Cole when I had the chance."

My fingers tightened on his shoulder and I felt my face harden, "no - that's my job."

Stellan lifted an eyebrow at me as a wisp of steam crossed between us like a cloud, "then I better get you a gun."

My chest expanded with a swelling of vengeance and desire all in the same moment. That, right there, was the reason I knew it had to be Stellan and not Jack. Jack would have suggested something more diplomatic, something that didn't involve me getting blood on my hands. Perhaps we were perfect little savages for each other. Stellan kept pulling something powerful out of the depths of me and I could feel it cloaking me now in the fully steamed bathroom.

"Avery," he broke my mulling and I huffed moving a cloud of steam. "You know I'm not going to...sleep with you...unless you ask me to. It's too important."

"I thought I already had," I countered.

"That doesn't," he started and I put a hand over his mouth.

"After everything that's happened that's what you want permission for?" He didn't say anything, he just kissed my palm and started pulling up the bottom of my shirt.

"Have you died?!" Luc called from the other side of the door. The brief flash of murderous rage that crossed Stellan's face made me drop my hand in surprise. Luc shoved against the door once, twice and then stumbled in. With a whoosh of air the steam was sucked from the bathroom past Luc who stood there, awestruck. We didn't move much, just turned to stare at him and watch him swallow hard, his eyes flickering between Stellan's scars and my eyes.

"I'm," he stuttered, "sorry."

"What?" Stellan barked and we watched as Luc's eyes took us in again before he put his hands out in front of him, placating, and started to back away. I cocked my head to the side, it was strange, he didn't look embarrassed. He looked rattled.

"I didn't mean to," he mumbled. "Forgive me."

As he turned to go he mumbled something in French and Stellan stiffened. When he turned back to look at me he seemed to be glowing, we both were, from all the steam.

"What did he say?" I asked and fanned my shirt away from my sticky body.

"He said he didn't know if he could get used to that." Stellan moved away from me and toward the bathtub.

"But he saw us this afternoon." I pushed my curling hair away from my face.

"No," Stellan reached out and touched the water. "I'm not his Keeper anymore - I'm his leader. We both are."

"Oh," I quietly replied and then shivered as the steam cooled on my skin. I looked up at Stellan as a slow smile pulled across his face. I felt my own start to form as the power pulsed in waves through my body growing with every thrumming heartbeat. Until this moment we hadn't realized just how different everything would be with the Circle. Now they had to answer to us, now they had to follow our orders, we had become the two most powerful people in the Circle. That would take a little getting used to. I turned triumphant eyes onto Stellan.

"Exactly _lyubov' moya._ " He said and planted a kiss on my forehead. "But I really do need to take a shower."

I laughed and hopped off the counter moving toward the bedroom.

"After all that you're leaving?" He snaked an arm out to grab me around the waist.

"There isn't any hot water left." I smirked and spun out of his grasp on my way toward my own room. As his door swung shut I heard him curse,

" _Merde._ "

* * *

The sun was setting against the fountain on Colette's back patio causing a cascade of sparkles to temporarily blind me as I zoned out. Luc and Stellan kept drifting between French and English about various topics and I could no longer follow the conversation. We had eaten on the patio after changing since we couldn't leave the house. The evening breeze picked up and I shivered before looking away from the fountain. The sparkles of light flashed across my closed eyes and I heard Stellan get up, mid sentence, with Luc. I opened my eyes, expecting to move this inside, when he dropped a blanket over my shoulders and finished his sentence in French.

Luc let out a large laugh, I pulled the blanket closer and Stellan reached across the table to grab his glass before resettling next to me on the sectional, his warm hand coming down on my upper thigh, wrapping his fingers around. Luc didn't even flinch at the intimate gesture and turned his chair toward us across the table.

"When was the last time you remember having real, actual fun Avery? I have a feeling you've had more fun than the rest of us combined."

"I said almost drowning in the Mediterranean, while Colette and Elodie wined and dined the police was pretty fun." Stellan smirked and gave my thigh a squeeze.

"But of course that isn't fun. Keepers don't know how to have fun." Luc took a long slug of his drink.

"I'm not sure, I moved a lot so there wasn't a lot of time to have fun." I started and then tried to reach back into a memory of the last time I'd had actual fun. It flooded me and I couldn't help the kneejerk reaction of tears that blossomed in my eyes. "Ice Skating in Time Square with my Mom. I was 13."

I quickly wiped the tears off my face with the back of my hand and Stellan released my thigh to wrap his arm around my waist pulling me closer. He dropped a kiss onto the crown of my head. Luc gave me a sad smile and we all fell quiet as the sun finally set along the horizon.

The moment of silence was broken up by the front door opening. Stellan tensed, reaching for a gun that wasn't there and then held his breath as Colette and Jack rounded the corner. All the breath left him and he squeezed my shoulder before moving to stand. I couldn't tell if he had been nervous because he didn't have a weapon or because he was hoping it was Elodie.

"You are back so soon!" Luc called out and I noticed the exhausted looks on both their faces.

"What happened?" Stellan moved toward them and I pulled the blanket on like a shawl and followed inside. Colette draped herself over an armchair and let out a long sigh while Jack stretched out his shoulder next to her.

"It was successful." Colette held for dramatic pause, "but allegiance must come with certain assurances."

"We also have a lead on Xan, he's not dead. Which pretty much confirms Lydia and Cole were collecting terminated Keepers for The Order." Jack added.

I nodded and sat at the end of a living room couch. Stellan sat right next to me, his knee knocking mine, and made himself comfortable despite the rest of the couch being empty. There was a small pause as everyone processed this and then I added,

"Luc was telling us much of the same thing for some other families." I tilted my head toward Luc. He tried to hide his grin and poured a glass of wine for Colette who took a large sip.

"Ah, yes," he handed Jack a glass of wine too, but Jack held his full glass and stared at the point where Stellan's knee still touched my own. "Let me fill you both in."

Jack tore his eyes away and didn't look at us again for the rest of the night.

* * *

After Colette and Luc had polished off the bottle of wine and the four of them had run out of speculative projections about what families would align where there was a pregnant pause. Colette turned heavy eyes toward Stellan and myself, her mouth twitching with a smile as she looked at each spot our bodies touched. Over the course of the two hours we'd all spent arguing Stellan had rearranged our position a few times before staying in the current one. I was leaning against the edge of the couch on my left side, my arm propping up my head, my feet pulled up onto the couch and flush against his thigh. His hand was wrapped around my left calf, rubbing small circles every once in awhile around my bare ankle.

"I am tired _cherie_ ," Colette begged toward Luc, breaking up the silence. "The jet lag is awful. And we were in business class!"

"Why?!" Luc looked horrified and then pulled Colette up out of her seat slinging an arm around her waist. They stumbled off toward her wing of the villa leaving just Jack, Stellan and I.

"No word from Elodie then?" Jack took a large gulp of his wine, watching them go.

"No, it wouldn't be safe to do so, in case someone might be tracking her." I replied watching as he took another gulp.

"I expect to hear back from Scarface most likely tomorrow. I gave him the information we found at the Fredrick's, so he's trying to confirm other terminated Keepers that actually weren't terminated."

"That's fantastic." I answered, but Jack was looking anywhere but where Stellan and I sat. He took the last slug of his wine and set the glass carefully down on the table.

The silence that followed this small task made a gnawing anxiety pool in my stomach. It was finally broken when Stellan abruptly stood.

"I'm going to bed."

Jack and I both followed suit, but when we reached the hallway where Stellan's room broke off to the left and Jack and my rooms broke off to the right Stellan didn't turn. He stopped at my door and held it open for me as Jack took the last few steps to the threshold of his own.

Their eyes met across the hallway, having some kind of silent conversation that only people who have known each other for a very long time can have. With a small nod from Jack Stellan moved into my room. I opened my mouth to say something but Jack shook his head and ducked into his own room. I looked at his door the anxious knot in my stomach building and turned to Stellan,

"What was that about?"

He pulled me into the room, closing the door and leaned close to me, my back pressed against the wood and I looked up into his face.

"You really want me to rehash almost a decade of history between Jack and I?" He rose an eyebrow. For a moment I thought of not pushing it. It would be so easy just to kiss him and keep kissing him until I was throbbing under him again. Especially after everything that had happened this morning. The distraction was so appealing I ran my hands down his chest thinking I'd ignore anything but this building desire, but the guilt squirmed in the pit of my stomach.

"I just don't want to make things even more awful," I said. "Not after everything we've already been through, and everything we have to do."

Stellan shook his head. I expected him to say something diplomatic, or even self deprecating, to placate me. I looked past his shoulder so I wouldn't have to see the snarky look on his face when his finger gently grazed my cheek turning me back to look at him.

"He had his chance." Stellan seared me to the floor with the intense look in his eyes.

"I…" I stuttered to a stop.

"And there will be no 'not girlfriend' arrangement between the two of us." His fingers weaved into my hair and I felt hot against the cold firmness of my door. "I'm not as chivalrous as Jack."

"Obviously," I panted and licked my bottom lip.

Stellan closed the gap between us with a small kiss and then quickly grabbed me around the waist and lifted me off the ground until I was level with him. My legs automatically wrapped around his waist, my hands locking around his neck as he pressed me hard into the door, deepening the kiss. The moment I pulled away to breathe was when I started to slip a bit down the door my hair dragging behind me on my descent. Stellan boosted me a little too high and his lips landed on my neck as I took in ragged breath.

" _Bon sang_ ," he suddenly grumbled against my neck, sending a wave of goosebumps down my body. " _L'appareil photo._ "

Through the haze of lust filling my brain I was able to pick out one word - photo. The camera. His lips came off me and with one squeeze I was planted back down on the floor, my throbbing body protesting it immediately.

Stellan held out a finger toward me and then reached into his back pocket. I wasn't exactly sure what I thought he was about to pull out - but it wasn't gum. Nicorette to be exact. He popped a piece into his mouth and I felt my face crinkle in confusion. He popped a second piece in,

"What are you," I started and he pressed his held out finger over my lips. He was still so close if either of us took a big enough breath our chests would touch. I dropped my arms and looked up into his face with annoyance when he smacked the gum loudly and then with a smile moved over to the corner of my room - with the camera. He pulled out a chair from the desk and set it up right under the little globe. Pulling the gum out of his mouth he gave the camera a little wave and stretched through his full height to press the wad of gum over the tiny lens.

"Done." He smirked and jumped off the chair. With a few quick strides he was back in front of me and reached behind me to lock the door.

"Do you really think anyone was watching," I couldn't help but glance up at the camera again. Stellan paused for a moment, thinking about it, and then shook his head.

"I just don't like an audience."

His minty breath fell over me, he shrugged out of his jacket letting it hit the floor before leaning forward and with a soft click the room fell into darkness. I felt him move toward me as my eyes adjusted and put a balancing hand behind myself against the door. His hands ran over my hips mummering,

"Now. Where were we _lyubov' moya_?"

There was that Russian phrase again. I only had a moment to curse choosing Spanish as my foreign language in school before his hands pressed into the small of my back and I was kissing him again.

It was as if the darkness of the room had amplified everything and my lust immediately burst open like a wildfire. Every kiss burned against my mouth, every noise he'd make was sucked into the building flame, every touch smoldering - but it wasn't enough. My brain was greedy for more, this was moving too slow to quench the thirst. I reached out and fumbled with the waistband of his jeans, reaching for the button.

His lips broke off from my own and he pressed them together for a moment before he flipped me around to face the door. Startled I pressed my hands against the wood when his mouth found the juncture of my neck and shoulder and he started kissing up toward my ear. One hand was pressed against the door just above of my own hands, the other smoothed around my waist and pulled at the button on my own pair of jeans.

"Say it," he whispered in my ear and a rush of goosebumps raced down the entire right side of my body. The swirling inferno of lust in the center of me was so intense I shuddered against him. His fingers kept working until the button was free and I could feel his five o'clock shadow scrape my neck as he lowered his mouth to my ear again, "say it, Avery."

My zipper started to slowly click down and I felt my legs go a bit wobbly as I let out a quiet noise of need in the back of my throat. He kissed behind my ear and another explosion of goosebumps and chills raced down my body. As I convulsed against him I managed to gasp out,

"Please."

His stubble tickled my neck as he shook his head. His fingers started to sneak under my jeans toward the part of me that was about to spontaneously combust. I contracted into him, making his fingers press harder against my throbbing center and I let out this fluttering and breathy sound I'd never heard come out of my throat before.

"I want to hear you say it," he accent, now thick, rumbled in my ear. His fingers started moving in quick circles around my building need. My whole body felt shaky, like it was hitting some point where I could no longer control it, and in my mind's eye I could see the look on his face when he had demanded this same admission from me before. My jeans started falling off my body and I could feel his erection so white hot against my backside that I closed my eyes and let myself catch fire,

"Do it. Take it. It's yours."

Clothes started falling away from both of us, jeans left at the door, shirts thrown toward the desk. I registered the cool sheets on the back of my legs before I realized I'd never felt the ground move. Stellan seemed to just touch my back and my bra fell off, tossed to the side of the bed. I sat down and looked up through the darkness at his chest rapidly rising and falling, and then he leaned down toward me and eased me back onto the bed. His hands trailed down my body until they reached my panties and eased those down as well. With a small shift from himself I heard another article of clothing hit the ground and the sound of a wrapper. A small stream of cooling worry feebly attempted to extinguish the wildfire still burning out of containment within me.

"I'll," he started and stopped. I felt his hands shake a bit against my feverish skin, "I'll try to go slowly. Just tell me if it's too much."

I nodded, unable to speak, the nervousness choking me. He guided me a little further up the bed and positioned himself between my legs. My whole body clenched in the cacophony of emotions the anticipation, excitement, fear. But before I could even begin to think through all those worries I felt him press against my opening. It had to be too big, right? That was never going to...and then he pushed in. I sucked in a sharp sounding breathful of air as my slippery center clenched and expanded all at the same time trying to accommodate him. He locked worried eyes onto me and I just swallowed and nodded. With a nervous lick to his lips he slowly pulled back out and the air whooshed out of my lungs. It was the strangest kind of pain I'd ever experienced, every pang mixed with a pulse of pleasure. Stellan wasn't even breathing as he pressed into me for the second time and I just couldn't take his worried eyes anymore. I pulled his face down to my neck and held it there.

He immediately started to pick up a rhythm, slow and gentle, the strain of the pace making his body shake. He shifted just a bit and when he moved in the next time he hit something that set off a wave of electric sparks across my nerve endings. My center started throbbing against him and he clenched the comforter into his hands his body quickening the pace and then slowing down again. As spark after spark flowed through me I felt the pain start to fade, the lust burning out everything but a single building emotion. Power.

As I watched Stellan's back shake again on top of me, his fists pulling at the comforter in his battle to keep moving slowly, I felt awash with power. I relaxed a bit under him and he let out a long, muffled, groan against my neck and started murmuring in a weird mix of French and Russian. He let a single hard thrust break through his careful control and my startled gasp filled the room.

"I'm sorry," he pleaded and slowed back down. The power surged through me, mixed with the pleasurably painful sensations tendriling across my skin and I whispered,

"Faster."

"I can't," he heaved, shaking again. "I won't be able to…" he broke off, clenching the comforter until his knuckles turned white.

"Then don't." I groaned as I felt him swell within me. I closed my eyes and released his neck, the power surged from deep within my psyche. I was doing this to him, I was in control of him, of this entire situation. I could tell him at any point to stop and he'd have to, want to - even if it would pain him. His hand quickly ran down my thigh, his fingers wrapping around the back of my knee as he pushed my leg up toward my chest, trapping it there between us. The single movement made my hips rise a little off the bed, granting him deeper access and he pressed a single kiss to my neck before landing a hard thrust. I couldn't help the yelp of pain that escaped me as I gasped,

"Oh God!" He hadn't been all the way in before. This new position allowed him complete entry as the pace picked up - significantly.

It seemed like we were moving at double time now, each thrust deeper, each breath coming harder and harder out of our lungs. I could feel the edge of an orgasam start to form in the bottom of my stomach first, but it was completely unattainable. Every time I'd start to get closer another pang of pain would dampen it. It didn't help, either, that I could feel Stellan start to harden within me to a point that was erasing any of the pleasurable side effects. It was starting to become too much, he was too big, hitting some spot too high within me to be satisfying. As I tried to form the words he thrust one more time and then let out a groan between his teeth as his body started to convulse on top of me. The thrusting was sporadic and uneven, he dropped his head to my chest and cursed before quickly rolling off of me. I gasped at the release of pressure on both my chest and from inside me. For a long moment we both just laid there, gasping and throbbing and shaking for different reasons.

"I'm sorry," he panted. "I should have made sure you…" he trailed off as he examined my face.

It was strange. I wasn't at all sad, just overwhelmed, but I felt my nose prickle with the start of tears. I sniffled once, fat tears unexpectedly running down the sides of my face into my hair and Stellan immediately moved toward me.

"No, no, no," he pulled me to him. "It's okay." His fingers raked through my tangled hair and I let out a shaky breath against his chest.

"I'm not even sad." I blubbered and tried to take a steadying breath.

"It's normal, _lyubov' moya_." He murmured into my hair, wiping tears from my cheek. I sniffled and looked up at his face, incredulous,

"How many people cry after having sex with you?"

Stellan's surprised laughter filled the room and he started kissing my forehead over and over, his chest still shaking with unshed laughter.

"Come on," he whispered and pulled me with him up toward the pillows at the head of the bed. Once we were both under them he guided me back onto his chest and I let out a couple more sniffles and closed my eyes. His fingers raked through my hair, his chest rose and fell methodically, his heartbeat thrummed under my ear. _Bump-bump. Bump-bump_.

"Are you in pain?" He whispered and I felt the vibrations rumble in my ear, quickly replaced by his heart again. _Bump-bump. Bump-bump._

"I don't know." I yawned. _Bump-bump. Bump-bump._

"Are you okay?" His voice vibrated again against my ear. _Bump-bump. Bump-bump._ I was not okay. I was threaded apart into so many pieces I knew that I'd never be able to recreate my same self again. All the familiar strands were disintegrating as the new ones wove into their place. Family replaced with revenge. Naïve replaced with leader. Safe replaced with danger. Wanting replaced with needing. Trust replaced with... _bump-bump. Bump-bump_.

"I will be." I whispered back. Stellan's fingers faltered only for a moment in their stroking. I pressed harder against his chest. _Bump-bump. Bump-bump_. I was grateful he knew me enough not to say anything else. _Bump-bump. Bump-bump_. I was grateful he knew me so little he couldn't tell it was a lie. I would never be okay again - the best I could hope for was vindicated.

His breath evened out and I flicked away a final tear and then gave in to oblivion as well.

* * *

A/N - Many, many, many thanks to maidenpride for this chapter. You not reading the books actually made the chapter better! LOL. And of course thanks to Laura as well for loaning out her talents again.

Chapter Sountrack:

Animals - Maroon 5

Magnets - Disclosure feat. Lorde


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE**

I lightly traced the edges of Stellan's sunburst tattoo with the tip of my finger for the third time as he continued to sleep in front of me. I had slept so deeply that when my eyes popped open at 8AM I hadn't been able to force myself to go back to sleep. The house was still and I was so cozy it didn't seem like it was worth the effort to get up. That and I was sore. I had been expecting it, I wasn't that naïve, but I wasn't ready to get up and push through the discomfort. With a little sigh I realized I wasn't ready to do that either physically or mentally. Stellan took in a longer breath but continued to sleep as my finger swirled around the design and the scars.

I could deal with whatever Colette and Luc were going to tease me with, but Jack...that was going to suck. If his whole demeanor last night was any indication, any leftover companionship between us was about to evaporate the moment he saw me this morning. As if things between me and my ex-"not-boyfriend" hadn't already been stupidly complicated, I got to add that he was the Keeper to both Stellan and I now. This was going to test the tensile strength of whatever was between us to a breaking point. I'd hoped that there was still a friendship there, but perhaps now Jack would stay just out of honor and dedication and oaths, when I really wanted him to stay because he wanted to.

My stomach clenched at the thought of watching his face go blank every time he would be forced to turn a blind eye on Stellan and I showing any kind of affection toward each other. I couldn't do that to him. It wasn't fair to either of us, and with all this external pressure building the last thing everyone needed was to add in-fighting. He shouldn't be here as a Keeper, he meant so much more to everyone. It seemed like something a Circle family would do to him. Then it hit me and my finger stopped. I was a Circle family now. I was _the_ Circle family now. I had the authority to do whatever the hell I wanted.

"Don't ever stop doing that," Stellan's thick accent rumbled out from his chest. I smiled at his back and started tracing his sunburst again. A flash of goosebumps raced across his skin and he shivered before yawning and turned around to face me.

"Morning," I whispered as I took him in. All the sharpest edges of him that were always outwardly projected were dulled and softened by sleep. I felt like I was staring at the purest form of him, all the Circle conditioning stripped away for this single moment. For a fleeting second I wondered if this is what he would always have looked like if his life had been different. Within the next I wondered if our lives would ever get to a point that he could look that happy and relaxed around me all the time. The fatalistic side of me, the dominant side these days, worried that we would never have a moment like this again. If he knew all the dark and simmering doubt building in my chest he'd never really want me, not in the way I wanted him.

Still a little sleepy he hadn't noticed my panicked mulling and looked deeper into my eyes before reaching across us to tuck a piece of hair behind my ear.

"You know _kuklachka_ ," his fingers trailed down my arm. "This is the second time I've woken up rested since childhood."

"And what was the first time?" I murmured watching the gold in his blue eyes spark a bit in the morning light.

"On the train." He rose an eyebrow and I automatically flushed remembering.

"You were concussed." I countered, as a gorgeous smile blossomed across his face. My brain greedily seared the smile to memory. His palm smoothed down my arm again and I felt the knot in my stomach unravel a little, like it always did around him. But it wasn't enough this time, I was wound too tightly, I felt like I was going to burst.

I tried to smile back, he saw through it. It started in his eyes first, they narrowed a little as he began to interpret my mood. I couldn't let this happen, I didn't want to mess this up, what if we never had a chance like this again? Everything in our world could explode tomorrow and I would have ruined this single glowing, perfect, moment with Stellan. I sucked in a little breath and looked at his lips before whispering, "me too."

His eyes opened back up, but the blue was darker now, suspicious.

"Maybe we should keep doing this then," he slid his hand over my hip and pulled me closer to him. My body screamed yes, everything relaxing toward him, but my mind wouldn't shut up. Now that we were everything to each other, why did he still feel like a stranger? I tried to push the thought deeper into my fractured psyche but the little voice of worry I'd buried last night whispered - because he is. I closed my eyes and leaned my forehead to his chest letting out a long sigh as I exhaled an almost inaudible,

"Sure."

His hand ran over my hair, his thumb making a firm swipe across the nape of my neck and then he quietly asked,

"What's wrong?"

I raised my head from his chest, rolling away a little so I could look into his face, and I could have sobbed. I'd fucked it up anyway. The moment was over. He was all hard angles and suspicious eyes again that poured over me like he could pry the answer out if he had to.

"Nothing." I lied and he swallowed hard. I sat up, pulling the sheet around me to cover myself, feeling incredibly vulnerable. My hair spilled into my face and I looked down to tuck it back noticing he had pajama pants on. I reached out and yanked on the fabric near his thigh. "When did this happen?"

"While you were sleeping," he quietly answered and sat up as well. He ran a hand through his hair and we both looked out toward my TV and closed door for a moment that seemed to drag out forever. Awkward. This had suddenly become almost unbearably awkward, and it was all my fault this time. This wasn't at all how I imagined my first 'morning after', and I took a large breath before whispering,

"Can we start over?"

He bit his lip and then we both turned to look at each other,

"I don't think we should."

I flushed, embarrassed, but he shook his head and continued, "something's obviously bothering you and if we start over you'll just keep lying about it."

"Nothing is," I automatically replied and the look on his face stopped me cold, it was split between annoyed and hurt.

"I've never lied to you Avery. I never will. Please, just," he stopped and took a breath like he was anticipating a blow, "don't lie to me about this."

"Stellan," I started but he stiffened and I bit the tip of my tongue to stop myself.

"You do regret it, don't you?"

My breath hitched in my chest, his face fell, and I couldn't help the swelling of overwhelmed tears that pooled in my eyes, "that's what you're worried about?"

"Of course," he stared at me, hurt and confused. "What did you…"

He started and I reached a hand across the sheets stopping short of touching him as I sniffled,

"I could never regret that. I wouldn't have regretted it the first time either. Regret is not an emotion I ever feel between us. Overwhelmed, embarrassed, panicked, terrified...but never regret."

He looked away for a moment, processing this, and I swiped at my face before continuing,

"You're the only thing in my life that makes sense right now. You're the only thing in my life I can trust right now. And it's terrifying to think that could be ripped away from me at any moment, for any reason. Even you," I faltered and he quickly looked at me, "even you could decide to do that to me."

"I would never," he started and I sniffled and pursed my lips for a moment before thickly interjecting,

"Jack thought that too."

The agonized look that crossed his face made me shiver and I pushed through all my checked emotion to lowly finish, "it just seems like we're everything and nothing to each other."

"Because it was too fast," he told the door, the color draining from his face.

"Because everything I want this to be between us seems like too much." I quickly countered.

"What do you want it to be?" He softly asked. We slowly turned to face each other and I yanked at the sheet again to keep myself covered. I tried to pool all my swirling, panicked, thoughts bubbling to the surface, black and tar like. We had hit the moment I was so terrified of - what if he heard all of my fears and decided this wasn't going to be worth it? His eyes still hadn't left my face, patiently waiting even though the worry was starting to make his jaw clench.

"I want to know that once we have the tomb and all twelve families, you'll still want me."

He took a breath, his whole body moving with the action, and before he could reply I continued.

"I want to know that at some point I'll know your favorite color and what food you hate."

His jaw flexed as if eating the immediate answer to my request. I took a steadying breath and let the ugly bubble of truth break free from my chest,

"I want to know that once I've murdered the only family I have left you'll still want me."

He nodded and kept quiet, sensing that I still had more to say. I swallowed hard against the knot forming in my throat, making me feel like I was choking on my final worry,

"Because you don't have to be in love with me for any of this to work."

Stellan pressed his lips together for a moment, taking a long breath in through his nose and then released them to say,

"Avery, the only reason any of this will work is because of how I feel for you." He slid his hand across the sheets to cover my own. "Trust can be misguided. Loyalty can be bought. Power can seduce."

"We'll become different people." I quietly added.

"I hope we do. I hope we do together. It's the only way this is all going to work." He replied and I closed my eyes and let the first few twinges of relief start to stamp out all my building anxiety. Maybe neither of us could say it yet, but it hung, implicit, in the air. The only way this was going to work was if we loved each other.

I flipped my palm up to face his and he immediately threaded our fingers together. With a squeeze I opened my eyes to see all the guarded tension he'd been holding start to melt away the longer he touched me.

"And it's orange and brussel sprouts."

"Orange," I scrunched my face, confused. "But you don't ever wear any orange."

He shrugged, "I don't look good in orange."

"That is the vainest thing I think I've ever heard you say." I let out a little chuckle and the sheet dipped a bit on my chest. He pointedly lowered his eyes to my chest. The blush raged across my cheeks almost immediately and I shifted to try and move the sheet but he shook his head. His free hand reached across us to cup my cheek, a thumb running across the blazing red and he smiled - that achingly beautiful smile again,

"Though I have to admit, this shade of red is a close second."

I rolled my eyes as I felt myself blush harder, my cheeks on fire now, and sighed,

"And that has to be the worst pickup line you've laid on me since I've known you."

"You wound me little doll," he laughed and released me falling back onto the bed with a loud thump to the pillows. I twisted to look at him and he pulled out my arm making me fall back onto his chest. His fingers almost immediately started to rake through my hair,

"What other arbitrary things do you want to know about me?"

"How many bones have you broken?" I relaxed into his touch and the bed.

"Oh," he let out a disgusted sound in his throat, "too many."

"Okay," I countered. "Then what was your worst injury to date?"

"Other than not burning to death?" He flippantly responded and I looked up at him with annoyed eyes. "Then the time I rolled my ankle. I almost went into shock. It's why I wear those boots now."

"Alright," I took a breath to ask the next question and he shook his head.

"Not so fast, you haven't answered."

"Well nothing very eventful happened in my life before I met you. So maybe getting shot at, or stabbed, or almost drowning."

"We're a bad influence on you," he rolled toward me and slid down until we were face to face. "Don't you wish you were still in your safe bed, with your safe friends and your safe school?"

"You already know the answer to that." I countered and we stayed quiet for a moment, staring at each other before my stomach let out a long growl of hunger. With a laugh he rolled out of the bed and started rummaging around in the piles of clothes from last night until he pulled out his jeans and tshirt. As he took off his pajama pants I felt a flutter of nervousness in the pit of my stomach. It was such an intimate gesture, especially now, but before I could even start to blush he was dressed and threw the flannel onto the bed next to me. He crossed the room and picked up his jacket by the door before moving back to the bed and setting it down next to the pants. His eyes washed over me, seeming to detail the moment before he smiled,

"Get dressed, I'll make you breakfast."

He turned and left, closing the door behind him. He'd obviously meant for me to wear them, hadn't he? I looked down, only the silky sheet covering my still naked body. I didn't really have any clean pajamas to wear, and they'd be warmer than anything I currently owned. I picked them up and moved toward the clothes at the foot of the bed until I found my bra. I slid into his pants, zipped up his jacket and dug through my jeans from yesterday until I found my hair band. Of course everyone knew what had happened last night, they probably all assumed it happened the night before as well - but I wasn't going to let my crazy bed head feed into the drama. As I sat down on the edge of the bed to roll up the ends of Stellan's crazy long pajama pants a jolt of pain rocketed up through the very center of me and I sucked in a startled breath.

Right, that too. I just hoped I wasn't walking weird today - that's what happened right? I bit my lip as the thoughts came racing to the forefront of my brain. That was something you asked your sister. Was it normal for me to feel a little thrill at wearing his clothes? Was it sweet or possessive of him to offer them in the first place? That was something I might have talked about with my mom. I thought of the two other women in my life I could ask these questions to and realized neither could give me an objective response. My mood darkened, but only until the scent of coffee hit my nose and I found myself gravitating toward it, one barefoot step at a time. I turned the corner to see Stellan rummaging around in the fridge, and couldn't suppress the smile.

Maybe, in the end, it didn't really matter if I could ask someone how possessive having me wear his clothes was. Because watching him dig through the fridge to find food for me made a swelling of possessiveness overcome me. Mine. He was mine now, and as long as I was his it didn't matter what anyone else thought.

"You'd think there was food in this fridge, but it's just full of vegetables and drink garnishes." He closed it and turned to face me right as the espresso machine gurgled to a stop. As he placed the two cups onto the counter I moved around the island next to him and started looking through all the fruit and bread for anything that could resemble a quick meal. We managed to find a box of croissants right as Luc and Colette stumbled out toward the kitchen, their clothes wrinkled and their faces grim. They both silently grabbed the two cups of espresso and moved out toward the patio without even a gesture in our direction.

"So...coffee instead?" I laughed a little as Stellan watched them settle into chairs on the patio.

"I should warn you," he slowly started as he expertly reloaded the machine and set it for coffee. "Colette and Luc aren't…"

He trailed off and I finished, "sober?"

"Nice," he looked directly at me. "They are not their best selves when they are hung over."

"Who is?" I grumbled and grabbed four mugs from a cabinet.

"Just be careful what you say around them." He poured coffee into all of the mugs and I grabbed the box of croissants. "Actually, just don't say anything."

"It can't be that bad." I leveled a glance at him and he stared at me and frowned.

Stellan and I moved out onto the patio to find Colette and Luc carefully sipping their espresso's, huge black glasses on their faces despite being in the shade. Stellan looked them over for a moment and then loudly exclaimed,

" _Bonjour!_ "

Collette and Luc both flinched, espresso swirling out of their tiny cups all over the glass table as they settled back down.

" _Ne soyez pas d'une bite._ " Luc grumbled and rubbed his temples.

"Indeed," Colette took another careful sip. "Not all of us fell into an exhausted sleep last night." She drug out the word exhausted and I saw a single perfectly waxed eyebrow rise above her huge glasses.

"Not all of us finished off several bottles of wine either." Stellan countered and grabbed some croissants from the box I'd put at the center of the table. "Where's Jack?"

Colette's mouth pressed into a thin line and she turned to Luc who's face mirrored her own and then they both let out a few chuckles in their chest before taking a small sip.

"Last time I saw Jack he was a quarter deep into a bottle of Jameson." Luc said over his cup, "and that was last night."

Even though I couldn't see his eyes I could feel them on me, waiting for my reaction. I just took a small breath through my nose and looked out toward the topiaries. Better to do exactly as Stellan prepped me to do. As if on cue Jack stalked out onto the patio and landed hard in the seat next to Luc.

" _Bonjour!_ " Luc exclaimed loudly and Jack physically winced away from him, his face scrunching into a grimace.

"Why?" Jack croaked, his eyes still closed in pain. Colette fished around in her pockets and slid another pair of glasses across the table to Jack. He put them on and settled into his chair as Luc reached to the center of the table toward the cups of coffee and passed him a large mug.

"You look rested, Avery." Luc smiled toward me, the gesture laced with mischief. Under the table I felt Stellan's fingers dig into my thigh and mentally nodded. Right - don't fall into the trap.

"Do I?" I casually replied and took a bite of a croissant.

"Oh yes. Is it the beds themself? Colette really did spare no expense in furnishing the guest rooms." Luc took another sip. I took another bite trying to bide some time to formulate my response.

"Must be the sheets. I don't think I've ever had a thread count that high."

Luc's shoulders fell a little and I relaxed thinking I had bypassed this awful embarrassing game he was playing when Stellan's fingers gripped into me again. So not out of the clear.

"What do you think Stellan? Was it the sheets? Is the thread count as high on your beds?" Luc turned toward Stellan and Jack. Jack slowly turned his head toward Luc and despite the glasses you could tell he was glaring at him.

"You think I pay attention to thread count?" Stellan flippantly replied and moved to cut a croissant in half. The knife squeaked across the plate and Colette, Luc and Jack all flinched. A victorious smile spread across Stellan's face, "sorry."

"How did your walk go Jack?" Luc turned his attention to Jack instead and I felt myself relax but Stellan's fingers didn't. I started prying at his fingers, they were going to bruise me, and I didn't need any more suspicious bruises from him.

"Fine." Jack grumbled and took another drink of coffee. Luc turned to Colette and said in a stage whisper,

"Jackie doesn't want to play our game."

"Of course I don't," Jack grumbled. "Besides, you were better at it the first time you tortured Stellan and I."

"Ouch Jackie." Luc fluttered a hand to his chest. Colette's smile lit across her face and I managed to pry Stellan's fingers off my thigh before stupidly taking the bait.

"First time?"

Jack turned his glasses covered face toward Stellan and intoned,

"Now who isn't telling her everything?"

Stellan just started shaking his head, not saying a word. Luc's smile was wicked as he watched the exchange and then he turned toward me,

"Jack and Stellan have a history that would appear to repeat itself. We like to tease them about it."

"Is that what it is?" Jack grumbled and took another long drink. "Seems like torture to me."

"I'm assuming this history involves Elodie?" I cautiously asked and Luc's mouth made a perfect 'o' of surprise.

"Nope." Jack abruptly stood and grabbed his mug of coffee. "I'm still too drunk to do this."

"Don't go Jackie!" Luc called out to his quickly retreating form. We all heard a door slam and then Colette and Luc let out bubbles of laughter. Stellan's face darkened,

"Why do you torture him?"

"Because it's easy to do. If he didn't take everything so seriously all the time he wouldn't be such a big target." Luc curtly responded.

"If he wasn't so serious all the time Avery would already be dead - three times over." Stellan warned. Luc made a dismissive waving gesture, shaking his head. Colette set her cup down and crossed her arms over her chest,

"We all know this is the fastest way to get past all the _maladresse_. We don't have time to deal with relationship drama. So Avery chose Stellan instead of Jack - why is this such a big deal?" She turned to Luc, "not like the opposite didn't happen with Elodie not even a few years ago."

"Not like Jack wasn't fighting what was obviously destiny," Luc quickly replied and threw his hand out, gesturing toward the two of us. I shrank back in my chair a little as Stellan rolled his shoulders in agitation. Luc nodded at our reaction and continued, "Stellan just drank himself into a stupor for a couple of days and then everything settled back down."

Luc took a small sip from his espresso cup and everyone looked away from each other, annoyed. But my brain was already putting all the pieces together and I realized another reason Stellan and Jack might not want history to keep repeating itself. Because if I had the timeline correct...

"And then Oliver Saxon died." All three eyes turned toward me and a long silence filled the patio. "I am, technically, a Saxon."

"That was a terrible accident." Luc quietly broke up the silence.

"But it was very similar drama that distracted Jack, right?" I looked over the three of them as they continued to look anywhere but at me.

"You can't predict something like that." Colette answered. "Jack did his best, he's lucky to be alive."

"You didn't answer my question." I pushed.

Luc lowered his glasses to reveal bloodshot eyes, "Jack almost died trying to save Oliver. Distracted or not. You'd be hard pressed to find a more dedicated Keeper. Maybe Stellan."

Luc slowly turned his gaze onto Stellan, who mutely nodded at him but the thought still bothered me. There were no accidents in the Circle. Nothing that had happened to me so far could be construed as an accident, even though people attempted to use that as a reason time and time again. It made it into this endless loop of Circle members trying to kill me and Keepers having to get injured in the process of saving me.

My thoughts from earlier this morning trickled through and I took in a breath,

"Maybe Jack shouldn't be our Keeper after all."

"Cherie, one accident," Luc started, exasperated at this point. I held up my hand and he abruptly cut off. I hadn't been expecting that, neither had Colette or Stellan from their startled expressions. But I took a steadying breath and tried to say as evenly as possible,

"Stellan's not a Keeper anymore. Maybe Jack shouldn't be either. Maybe that's the whole point of the 13th Circle - if we really are meant to rule over the twelve."

"Breaking up the way the Circle has been operating for centuries? If there aren't any Keepers who is going to protect everyone from the Order?" Luc countered.

"The Saxons? Or the actual Order? Because the actual Order hasn't done much for a very long time. And all I'd have to do is order every family in the Circle to hunt down the Saxons until they're eliminated." It came out of my mouth so effortlessly that I snapped it shut, scared. Had I really just casually tossed out mass murder as an option?

Luc's eyes went wide, revealing just how bloodshot they were as Colette's mouth slowly fell open. I tried not to look as uncomfortable as I felt until Luc leaned forward,

"But you don't rule over all twelve families yet. And if the families don't want to do your dirty work, will you be slipping them spiked champaign as well? You are," he pushed his glasses back up onto his face, "technically a Saxon."

Stellan moved next to me, taking a breath but I fluttered a hand to his arm to stay him and casually responded back,

"And yet here you sit. Drinking espresso. That we made you."

Colette and Luc's hands froze on their cups and then Luc let out a huge laugh and took his final sip,

" _Touché, cherie_." He tipped the little cup to me. "What will you have me do first, my Queen?"

"Never call me Queen again." I immediately replied and then let out a nervous laugh. Stellan put his hand over the one that I still had on his arm and let out a long breath, visibly relaxing. I looked over at Colette unable to read her with the glasses still covering up half her face.

"It's not a bad idea." She said directly to me. "Your Keeper theory."

"I just don't want him to feel like that's the only reason to stay." I started. "We don't need a Keeper, Stellan already is one - and there's the whole biological warfare thing we can do together."

"But that's assuming you two would be doing everything together." Colette countered.

"Why wouldn't we?" I asked and looked over at Stellan. Hadn't that been the point of claiming our birthright? Hadn't that been what he made me swear to him at Notre Dame? Everything we did had to be done together now or the validity of the 13th family would lose all the 'mandate' magic that made us important in the first place.

"Well, there is the issue of the Circle being a patriarchy despite the mandate claiming the violet eyed girl would rule them." Colette threw out. "So who's in charge? Who is ruling your Family? You or Stellan?"

"There's also the fact that in the Circle union means marriage. Are you two going to be getting married in order to ensure that?" Luc added. "I think it's a much more elegant solution to the problem we're having in convincing other families to join our side. It's easier to argue that you've already fulfilled the mandate if you produce a consummated marriage."

"And what about Anya?" Colette continued. I blew out a long breath, already overwhelmed. I glanced at Stellan now looking white with panic. "She's part of the 13th family and she's actually a descendant. No offense Avery, but the mandate states you would be coming from the Circle - not the 13th bloodline."

"Right!" Luc leaned forward. "So does that make Anya more qualified to rule? If something were to happen to Stellan and Avery would she be taking their place? If something were to happen to all three of them...then what? Maybe Jack should be her Keeper instead."

"Are there more people in the 13th bloodline?" Colette turned to Luc, both of them picking up speed now - ignoring us altogether. "Is that the point of their blood? To weed out Circle members that aren't part of the 13th bloodline?"

"But Stellan wasn't ever Circle. You'd have to test the entire world to try and figure out who was and wasn't. And with so many people being loosely related to all twelve families that would murder half the world." Luc swung his hand out for emphasis knocking his empty cup and saucer across the table with a bang. Stellan shot up out of his chair making it fall backward onto the stone tiles. Everyone jumped and looked at him before he swallowed hard and then abruptly left us, storming into the house.

* * *

A/N - Thanks again to the tireless work of both maidenpride and Laura. Also big thanks to Trubie525 - keeping me canon like a rockstar! You ladies make the story better and for this I thank you.

Chapter Soundtrack

Close - Nick Jonas ft. Tove Lo

Never Forget You - Zara Larson ft. MNEK


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER FOUR**

"Hey," I called after him, startled. I scrambled up from my chair, "Stellan!"

He continued to move away from me through the living room and out the front door until he was almost at the end of the long driveway. I started jogging to catch up with his long strides, every step sent a ripple of pain through me and I let out a low grumble before yelling out, now annoyed,

"Stellan stop!"

He stopped and balled his fists at his sides, his back hunched with tension. I closed the remaining space between us and slowly circled him until we were facing each other,

"Where the hell are you going? Those were really important questions we have to answer."

"So answer them," he flatly responded and leveled a challenging stare at me. His eyes were vividly blue against his still pale skin, and wild looking - like a caged animal. I reached out a hand to him but he took a step away and I snapped my hand back to my side, the rejection stinging. There it was again - lovers and strangers. As long as it didn't get too personal we were inseparable. I swallowed hard and cautiously asked,

"So that's it? I'm the one in charge?"

"You should be, it's what the mandate says." He looked away and shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

"The mandate has been right zero percent of the time so far!" I threw my hands up and shook my head, exasperated. "We both know who's really supposed to be making these choices."

He looked down at me then, the morning breeze blowing his wild hair all over his forehead and into his eyes. For a long moment the only sound was the wind whipping off the Mediterranean, blowing between us. He clenched his jaw and then turned away, looking at the ornate metal gate at the edge of the property. My anger bubbled up with a taste of bile, making my chest flare from the indignation of it all. I stared unbelievably at the side of him.

"You know I'm not fit to rule. All I have is vengeance inside me. The first thing I told the Circle I was going to do was kill my family."

He turned back to face me and shook his head,

"Don't count out vengeance. Most of the ruling members of the Circle operate off blood lust alone."

That wasn't an answer just another deflection. The anger mixed with the embarrassment of revealing too much of myself to him again and I couldn't take it anymore. I felt raw and exposed and there he stood - teflon, like usual. I glared at him, daring him to say anything constructive and he just looked down at our feet. I took a step away and felt the pajama cuffs scrape across the driveway. He reached out and grabbed my arm.

"I'm sorry."

"Too late." I ground out and shook him off me, moving back toward the house.

" _Kuklachka_ ," he tried again but I whirled on him.

"Don't you _kuklachka_ me!" I lowly snapped at him and took another step away. He looked wounded and I felt a little thrill of victory. At least I'd made some kind of chip in his armor. "Tell me what this is. Tell me where we stand."

"I just," he started and stopped, pressing his lips together and took a deep breath as his fingers flexed out against the dark denim of his jeans. That wasn't good. The worry started to swell in me and I couldn't help but continue,

"Tell me that you know what you're doing. Tell me that you have a plan. Tell me that everything is going to work out."

For a beat he glared at the ground and then everything about him deflated. His hands relaxed, his shoulders slumped and he finally met my eyes - lost. The panic seized in the pit of my stomach and I felt my whole body contract. How could neither of us have a plan? There was an entire house of people counting on us. The Circle was watching every move we made, waiting for the mistake. Is that why he kept deflecting to me? Is that why he'd let me send Elodie to Russia? He had no idea what we were going to do?

"Stellan," I whispered, worried. He abruptly straightened and shook out his shoulders before running a hand through his hair, the armor quickly coming back on. He looked cocky and bored and I swallowed hard against the knot that formed in my throat. How could he turn it on like that?

"We'll be fine."

"We'll be fine?" I echoed, my voice rising with the panic in my chest. I cut my eyes to him and he just shrugged, non-plussed. Everything I'd seen this morning, all the progress we'd made, just washed out of him like a tide. I let out a mirthless laugh, "We'll be fine."

I started walking back up the driveway trying to push it all back down, in vain. The panic, the anger, the embarrassment, the loneliness but I knew it wouldn't fit now. The box everything had lived in before was too small to fit the emotions that filled me. I'd let them get too big, I'd let love and hope and wanting breathe life into them. I'd spent years training myself to keep everything locked down and it had taken less than a month to erase all that work. I heard him move behind me and quickened my pace. I didn't want to face him now, everything was so raw I didn't know what I'd do.

"Avery," he pulled at the back of my jacket and I took another step, letting the fabric pull taut against me. "Don't go."

"I have nowhere _to_ go," my voice was thick and I cleared my throat. "But we'll be fine, so don't even worry about it."

"Don't do that. Don't make it seem like," he started and I yanked myself free and spun around.

"I can't do this with you anymore," I swallowed hard and stared at his chest, unable to meet his eyes. "It not fair. You broke open everything inside me that I've been keeping in check my entire life. And every time I think I can trust you with it you throw it back in my face."

"That's not what I," He hoarsely replied, his voice carrying off into the wind. I looked up to see the panic back in his eyes, the cracks in his armor starting to show the vulnerability underneath. "You can trust me."

I shook my head and turned to go, but he quickly stepped in front of me and placed his hands on my shoulders to stop me. I tried to step out of his touch, "let me go." I leveled an icy glare at him that caught him off guard.

"I asked you when you realized you wanted me and not Jack." He started and I steeled myself and froze in place. "But I wanted you much earlier than that. I realized I wanted you in Italy. And not because you were tiny and pretty and could free me of this half life in the Circle. I wanted you because when that gun went off the panic inside me was almost too much to bare."

Everything within me stilled and I took in a slow breath as I looked up into his face. Stellan pressed his lips together for a moment and then continued, "in that one moment I realized I've been waiting for you. You fill the ache, _lyubov' moya_."

A slow moving shudder of realization bleed down my back, breaking apart all the cold anger I had been pooling. My heart started hammering in my chest. Did he really feel that way? But then I clenched my hands, trying to stay focused and demanded, "then why do you keep pushing me away?"

"It's a learned response," he murmured, his hands were still cupping my shoulders and he concentrated on my chest as he ran his thumbs out along my collarbone. "I spent what felt like an eternity pretending I didn't want you - because you weren't mine. And I've spent most of my life by myself. I don't know how to share it very well."

I nodded, I was intimately aware of that feeling. But things were different now. If we were going to defeat the Circle we had to, at the very least, be honest with each other. "You can throw up your guard for everyone else, but not to me. Not when it matters. Not about your sister, and not about how you want to rule this Family."

"You're right," he exhaled and dropped his hands off my shoulders.

"So what do you want to do about your sister? Should we make Jack be her Keeper?"

"Probably," he shrugged and I let out a frustrated huff. Stellan put his palms up to me and I bit my lip to stop the retort I wanted to give as he said, "the bigger problem is that she has been very sheltered."

"What do you mean sheltered?" I rose an eyebrow.

"She doesn't know what the Circle is. She doesn't know what Keepers are. She doesn't know what I do," he stopped and finished quietly, "she doesn't know what I've done."

I pressed my tongue to the roof of my mouth so I wouldn't be tempted to immediately console him. This was a big problem. Learning about the Circle had been slightly panic inducing for me, I had no idea how a seven year old was going to fare against the absolute bombardment of that.

"She knows nothing?"

"She thinks I'm an accountant." He grimaced.

"An accountant," I started laughing and immediately stopped myself with a cough. "Sorry. So you have to tell her."

"I don't see how we can keep her in the dark now." He ran a hand through his wild hair again.

"But you don't have to tell her everything." I countered and he looked at me as I looked up toward the sky before answering, "my mom was right to keep me as sheltered as she did for as long as she did. Anya doesn't have to know what you've done in the past, just what we'll need to do in the future."

He nodded in agreement and reached forward to gently glide his fingertips up my arms toward my elbows. "What about Jack?"

"Do you trust him?" I countered. For the longest moment we just stared at each other, thinking over our individual and shared history of Jack. All he'd ever done was lie to me, but it was only to protect me. The worst part had been how easily I'd believed him. But maybe, in this instance, having someone lie to protect Anya was the best possible option. Stellan's palms cupped my elbows and we both started nodding.

"I'll ask him." He lowly replied. I leaned forward to rest my forehead onto his chest and Stellan let out a long breath of relief as his hands spread wide across my shoulders and down toward my waist.

"I guess the next question is what Luc suggested." I held a little breath in my chest, not exactly sure why I felt so nervous asking him that. It's not like I hadn't already turned down his marriage proposals on multiple occasions.

"My girlfriend. My wife. My Queen. It makes no difference to me as long as you're mine." He quickly answered.

"Your Queen, huh?" I asked his chest and smiled before raising my face to look up at him.

"My kingdom is the size of a small bedroom, but everything within it is yours." He smiled down at me and pulled my hips closer to his own. I put a steadying hand on his abs and shook my head,

"I've seen your kingdom. Hard pass."

Stellan's laughter rang out across the driveway before he pulled me to his chest and dropped a kiss onto the crown of my head. I wrapped my arms around him as well and relaxed into him for a moment, the anxiety breaking apart in my chest to hide in different corners of my soul. It was always close to the surface but buried enough now that you couldn't see it all over my face. He wrapped me closer and closer the longer the moment spread out, until both of us were squeezing each other like our lives depended on it. I could feel his anxiety seeping into me and I turned my face to kiss his chest saying,

"We'll be fine."

From at the top of the driveway I heard some footsteps and then Colette's voice floated down toward us,

" _Laisse les tranquille._ "

She sounded like she was scolding Luc and then the driveway went silent again. We released each other in the same moment and then immediately grabbed each other's hands, threading our fingers as we made our way back up to the house.

* * *

Despite the three of them nursing some pretty bad hangovers Colette, Luc and Jack had dutifully been scanning and translating book after book from the Dauphin library well past lunch. Since I didn't know French I had been stuck on internet duty. Whenever someone had an idea I had to fact check it against anything I could find. I'd had to drag a chair in from the living room and precariously juggle the laptop on the corner of the table, Stellan to my right and Luc to my left. You could barely stretch your legs out across the small four seater table everything was stacked on. It was covered with ancient and crumbling texts that I had initially been afraid to touch. But after watching everyone manhandle them like it was a used book store that fear quickly passed. The room was starting to become stuffy and warm when Colette's phone buzzed at 3PM. She excused herself for a moment and we all leaned back into our respective chairs.

As I stretched and cracked my cramped fingers Luc and Jack both leaned their head's back and closed their eyes.

"You'd think I drank as much as Jack from the headache I have." Luc complained and pushed the base of his palms into his eyes. "I don't even know how you're functioning right now."

"Hair of the dog," Jack grumbled and crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes still screwed tight.

" _Tricheur_ ," Luc grumbled back and after a beat all three boys started laughing. Stellan leaned across the small space between us and whispered the translation in my ear and then kissed my jaw before pulling back. I smiled and blushed all in the same moment and looked up gratefully as Colette entered back into the room,

"That was my agent. She wants to know how much longer my 'vacation' will be for."

She rose her eyebrow, annoyed, as she said 'vacation' before moving over toward the windows for the study. She threw them open, the breeze fluttering pages and papers across the table. Everyone leaned forward and started stacking and closing books when I asked,

"What did you tell her?"

"Indefinitely." Colette simply answered and shrugged. "At least until we find the tomb."

"But I read you were supposed to do the sequel to Black Stead this summer." I replied and then immediately pressed my lips together and slunk as deep as I could in the chair. It was mortifying to be the only person that seemed to acknowledge that Colette was still Colette LeGrande. I felt all the boys eyes turn to look at me and tried to will the blush away but I could feel it creeping up from my neck.

"That is true," Colette smiled warmly at me. "But Benecio can wait. This is more important."

"Of course," I looked down at my nails. "I was just curious if it was going to follow the book or not."

Stellan and Luc started shaking with unshed laughter next to me, I fought the urge to kick them.

"Avery," Colette's voice had the slightest edge of laughter in it, "come help me make some food."

I nodded and placed the laptop on top of a large stack before making a beeline away from everyone's still staring eyes.

"I'll come with you," Luc drawled as he stood and stretched before following us. Right as the three of us hit the doorway Stellan asked lowly,

" _Voulez- vous fermer la porte?_ "

Colette and Luc froze as Jack turned to look at Stellan, but then Luc quickly recovered and closed the door. All three of us took a few steps away, hearing only muffled tones, before Luc whispered,

"What's that about?"

Colette and Luc looked at me expectantly and I paused and held my breath. Do I tell them? Do I just tell Colette? How much information does a Family detail need to have? Should we even be mirroring Circle protocol? I took a breath, Colette and Luc still waiting, and then clamped my mouth shut. Maybe it was safe to tell them, but it was Stellan's choice if we did. I shrugged and moved over toward the kitchen. I could feel their eyes on my back and straightened my spine.

I did trust them, but I didn't have to tell them everything did I? Wasn't that part of being a ruler? At the very least I wasn't going to betray Stellan's trust. If he wanted to tell Jack this alone then I needed to respect that. I could tell Colette and Luc were having some kind of silent exchange behind me and decided, despite my hunger, that space was probably the best choice right now. I called over my shoulder,

"I think I need to go stretch my legs a bit."

I moved out toward the grounds without a glance back and made sure to turn the corner quickly around the building so I didn't have to explain myself any further. Stellan and I had changed before the research marathon started and I relished the sound of my flats crunching across the gravel as I wandered along the path that ran the perimeter of the house. When I was sure I was far enough away from Colette and Luc I let out a charged breath and shoved my hands into Stellan's jacket pockets. The breeze kicked up again as I shrugged deeper into the voluminous dark grey when I picked up voices on the wind.

"You don't even have to explain further. Consider it done."

It was Jack. A beat. Then Stellan.

"There's one more thing."

I took a few more crunching steps toward them. I hadn't realized I'd made my way back toward the study, and the open windows. I flattened myself against the house and leaned a little closer, straining to hear over the wind.

"I want you to teach Avery how to use a gun."

"Me?" Jack replied, confused.

"You're better with guns." Stellan casually replied. I pressed my palms against the rough stucco of the house. "She needs to be able to protect herself."

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Jack questioned, and I pressed my fingers into the wall feeling the stone pinch the flesh.

"She's too tiny for a knife."

"That's not what I'm worried about." Jack paused. "You remember the first person you killed?"

"Of course I do." Stellan quickly snapped off.

"So do I." Jack countered. "It didn't go well for either of us, and we were forced to kill strangers. Avery thinks she wants to kill her family."

"Lydia and Cole Saxon are not her family." Stellan interjected forcefully.

"Semantics." Jack replied, annoyed. "The fact still remains it's not some random killing. This will be an assassination. I don't think she can handle that."

"Why don't you let her decide that?" Stellan questioned and I heard Jack let out an annoyed grumble before replying,

"Because she's not in her right mind. I'd want to spare her the fallout if we could."

"What if it was closure she found instead?"

"Stellan…" Jack grumbled, but then there was the scrape of a chair and footsteps moving closer toward the window I was standing right next to.

"Buy the gun. Make it small. Understood?" Stellan ordered.

"Understood." Jack quickly replied. There were footsteps, a door opening and closing, and then I saw hand's on the window sill next to me. I flattened against the wall and watched as Jack's forearms flexed as he clenched the sill. He cursed, and then he was gone.

* * *

I quickly made my way back into the house to arrive just as Jack was excusing himself claiming he needed to restock the bar. Everyone looked at Stellan expectantly, but he didn't say a word. Taking the hint Luc and Colette went back to the study and Stellan moved out into the grounds. Neither situation seemed appealing to me so I snagged the laptop and moved to the enclosed patio. I'd managed to find a dissertation on Napoleon's time in Alexandria that hinted at him seeing Alexander the Great's tomb and was slowly slogging through it. But every time I got through a section I couldn't help but stop and spend even more time mulling over the conversation I'd spied on.

The part of me that was swelling with adoration for Stellan believing in me was battling with the part that was utterly annoyed. He could have easily been the one to teach me how to use a gun. It felt intentional, and I bit my lip again wondering why he'd done it.

"You should go talk to him."

I looked up from the screen I had been pretending to examining for the past hour and blinked a few times, confused, at Luc.

"What?"

Luc inclined his head out toward the fountain and Stellan. He had worn a path into the gravel surrounding it he'd made so many passes. I felt my eyes widen with surprise for a moment, before turning questioning eyes at Luc.

"He doesn't do very well with waiting. He's impatient like that." Luc lowly commented and then settled down in the empty chair next to me. He closed a book, a plume of dust whirling past us. "It's one of the reasons I chose him."

"Chose him?" I turned to face Luc and he shook his head a few times at my confusion.

"I always forget you don't know any of these things." He settled back into his chair. "You choose your Keeper. You're given a couple of options and it's your first formal Family decision you make. There's a big ceremony and everything." He fluttered his hand as he said the last line like it was some kind of frivolous event, not a life changing decision.

"Impatient doesn't seem like a good reason to choose someone as your personal bodyguard." I dubiously replied as we watched Stellan start another slow lap looking out at the horizon every once in awhile.

"He's not my bodyguard, he's," Luc stopped, "was my Keeper. My closest friend. My confidant. He knows all my secrets. He knew to keep them a secret even before I did."

I broke my worried watch of Stellan to look over at Luc. He let out a very long, tired breath through his nose as he watched Stellan start another lap. In that moment he looked so much older than me, the weight of his life adding a decade to him. My memory shot back to the club in Istanbul when I'd caught him eyeing the bartender. Luc continued without looking at me,

"He hadn't even been my Keeper for a week when I slipped his guard and headed into this club. It was stupid of me, too many eyes there. He found me as I was about to leave with someone." Luc stopped and let out a small laugh in his chest at the memory. "I thought he was going to just drag me away from there - standard Keeper strategy - but I'll never forget what he said to me."

I looked out at Stellan again, wind rippling the white shirt across his chest, his boots crunching on the gravel. I turned to Luc,

"What did he say?"

"I don't have to marry someone important one day. Let me leave with this guy." Luc finally looked over at me, his purple eyes filled with such a complicated mix of sadness and longing and loss that I couldn't help but swallow hard against the rising emotion in my throat. "No one gave them a second glance as they left, me behind them, and then Stellan dropped us off at the apartment. I never ran out on him again."

"Luc," I started but he shook his head and the vulnerable look in his eyes quickly evaporated.

"The irony of it, right?" He let out small laugh. "People like Jack, people that have been conditioned since birth to be part of the Circle, they know exactly what to say, when to say it, who to shoot, how to interrogate, how to manipulate. They know how to be someone's bodyguard. They know how to turn a blind eye and yet remain loyal. But Stellan had a life before the Circle. He had a life no one in the Circle could ever understand."

"Not even me," I added and gave Luc a sad smile. "We never stayed anywhere long enough to be remembered."

"Stellan came to the Circle so late everything he does is different. He had to harden to the game we were all born playing - it makes you better at it. He can see the holes we're all blind to because of our complacency. At one point he had enough hope left in him that he thought he could change the Circle...or at least the Keepers." Luc stopped, lost in memory as I nodded remembering my conversation at the Arche de Triumph with Stellan. "You know Stellan went to the hospital to check on Jack so many times while he was recovering there. Despite everything that had happened with Elodie. I think that's why he took Jack leaving so hard. They were so close and Jack just turned it off - like he'd been trained to do. Stellan can't do that. He can hide everything better than anyone, but he can't just turn it off. The Circle didn't beat the humanity out of him from birth like it did to the rest of us."

"Luc, I don't take you for a sociopath. There is plenty of humanity left in you." I broke in and he turned to me and smiled before taking a deep breath and relaxing back into his chair.

"It took me so long to realize he was trying to be my friend instead of my Keeper. I had no idea what a real friend was like. All of my friends would use me at some point - but never Stellan. Once I realized it everything just clicked between us and I started picking up on all his ticks too." Luc stopped and we both watched as Stellan checked his phone and then started kicking gravel again.

"Like the pacing." I added and then sighed, "and the hair touching."

"Hair touching?" Luc looked over at me with confused amusement.

"He can't keep his hands out of my hair." I smiled back. Luc reached over and pulled at the end of my ponytail.

"Take good care of him, _cherie_." Luc gave my hair another gentle tug before standing. "He's very important to me."

"Me too." I replied and he picked up his book and moved back into the house. I watched Stellan make another lap before I closed the laptop and started making my way over to him.

* * *

A/N - Thanks to maidenpride, Laura and Trubie525 for all the fantastic editing work. I appreciate you! :)

Chapter Soundtrack

Nick Jonas - Under You

ZAYN - Like I Would


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER FIVE**

As soon as I left the enclosed patio the cool air hit me and a flash of goosebumps raced across my skin. I snapped my arms around my chest and quickened my pace toward him, making sure I'd land directly in his worn path. He turned the corner and I lowly called out,

"Stellan!"

The wind blew through again and I shivered as my hair spilled all around my face. He looked up at me, his shirt rippling in the wind and quickly closed the space between us.

" _Kuklachka_?" He looked at me expectantly, hopeful even. I shook my head and his face fell a little.

"Come with me." I held out my hand. I was surprised at how warm he was when his fingers laced with my own. The breeze had chilled me almost instantly but his skin was hot. He noticed my discomfort and immediately pulled me to his chest, wrapping his arms around me as we slowly and awkwardly made our way back toward the house. He needed a distraction. I might not be able to speak four languages or stab someone in cold blood - but distraction, I was a pro at that.

Not allowed to join Brownies with the rest of your 3rd grade class? Master lanyards and macrame. Joining the club soccer team would require too much commitment? Complete the entire body of work for Jane Austen. Told the 8th grade Disneyland trip was 'too unsupervised' for you to attend? Knit a blanket in your mother's favorite color and then donate it to the Goodwill. Forbidden to attend your junior prom?

I looked over at Stellan as we crossed the threshold back into the house. The memory of that night washed over me and I realized that despite Jack asking me to go, it was Stellan that I had danced with. It was short lived and he'd immediately pulled a knife on me, but it would appear to be the only time I was going to dance at a prom. The ironic destiny of that moment wasn't lost on me. I moved out of his embrace and gave his forearm a tug.

"I'm not hungry." He stopped, planting his feet.

"I'm not feeding you, we're going to make dinner for everyone." I yanked again and he stumbled behind me before stopping next to the fridge. I opened it and started digging around.

"I appreciate the sentiment, but I'm not in the mood to play house right now." The usual snark was biting into the words, but when I turned to place a bag of carrots into his hands the worried look on his face caused my chest to ache for him. I slapped a bag of celery against his waiting palm.

"You could be on translation duty." I offered and he looked around the corner toward the study where Colette and Luc were still holed up. I let that stew for a moment as I piled squash on top of the carrots in his hands.

"Or I could just go back out to my patrol." He tossed the vegetables onto the counter. I yanked out a bottle of opened white wine and held it in the crook of my arm as I shoved leeks and fennel at him, the fennel top fanning across his white shirt in a splayed pattern. I closed the fridge and moved over toward the potatoes and tomatoes.

"The fountain is safe," I said over my shoulder. "No more pacing."

I grabbed an empty bowl off the counter and started piling garlic, potatoes and tomatoes into it. Behind me I heard him let out a sigh and then move to pick up the rest of the vegetables he'd set down.

"Can we at least drink while we do this?" He grumpily asked.

Hands full I leaned down toward the cork and yanked it out with my teeth. The pop filled the kitchen followed by his laugh,

"You've been holding out on me _kuklachka_." I turned to face him, raising an eyebrow. "What else can you do with your mouth while your hands are full?"

I scowled, but the effect was lost since I still had the cork between my teeth. Stellan laughed again and pulled the wine and bowl out of my hands. As he set them down next to all the other ingredients I pulled a wine glass out and brought it over.

"I'm surprised there were still clean wine glasses." I commented as I set it down and Stellan let out a snort of laughter before pouring himself a glass.

"I'm surprised it's wine. Usually Colette and Luc go for something stronger." He picked up the glass and took a long drink. I started organizing all the vegetables on the counter and then went looking for a cutting board.

"I got the impression," I paused and reached up on my tiptoes to look into a high cabinet, "that all of you used to be heavy drinkers."

"What gave it away?" He said into the glass as he sipped again. I bent over at the waist to look into a low cabinet and managed to find a giant pot, but still no cutting board. When I swung back up he was openly staring at me, "if you're trying to distract me I can think of something else we could be doing right now."

"True," I smirked and set the pot onto the stove before moving toward another set of cabinets in this enormous kitchen. "But that wouldn't last for the amount of time we need to kill."

"Ouch," he laughed and I spun around to see him holding his chest as if in pain. I just rolled my eyes and then threw my hands into the air,

"I give up, where are the cutting boards in this place?"

Stellan polished off his glass of wine and then pointed to the cabinets right next to the stove - the only one I hadn't looked in. I stalked over and pulled out two of them, setting them down with a bang,

"You could have told me."

He shook his head and reached for the wine bottle, "wasn't that part of your distraction plan? I have to admit it was working for a minute or two there."

I pulled out two knives from the block and set them on the boards before piling all the veggies into the sink and turning on the tap. When I turned back toward Stellan he was taking another long drink as he leaned against the counter next to me. He then effortlessly slid up onto the counter and settled down.

"I thought the double knives and cutting boards was a big enough clue for you." I gestured toward his station and he shook his head and leaned back against a cabinet.

"I would be more distracted watching you, then helping you."

"So that's how it is, huh?" I laughed and turned the water off, grabbing the carrots out of the sink. "Fine, then entertain me. What's Russia like?"

"Cold." He flatly responded and took another drink.

"Descriptive." I chided and started chopping. "Could you elaborate?"

"Very cold." He deadpanned and I smiled down at the carrots. A couple of the carrots slid around on the board making my knife slip a bit, coming close to a finger and Stellan let out a noise of annoyance.

"It's like you're trying to injure yourself." He hopped off the counter and swapped out our cutting boards, carrots rolling everywhere. "Find something flat to cut."

"I wouldn't have cut myself." I said, annoyed, but grabbed the celery anyway.

"I'm the one that taught you how to fight with a knife - I would know." He grumbled and I looked over at his board - all the carrots perfectly chopped. He slid back up onto the counter as I pulled the tomatoes out of the sink and set them on his cutting board.

"So," I started slowly working through the celery. "Would you ever move back to very cold Russia?"

"No. I've spent too much time in France. I have been going back to Russia once a year, on my birthday, since I came to the Circle. Every time I go it's shocking how cold it feels to me, and I can't wait to get back to France." He answered and then shrugged.

"I get it," I moved over to stove and pushed all the celery into the pot. I grabbed the fennel next, hacking off all the fronds to get to the root of it. "When I was eight we started moving at least once a year, and at first it was nothing but hot places. Arizona, Texas, Kansas and then Los Angeles. By the time we got to Oregon I was happy for all the rain."

"You didn't move much before that?" He took another sip.

"No, we lived in Chicago and then Boston. That's where I met Mr. Emerson. Fitz." I answered and moved to the stove again to put all the fennel in. I pulled out the squash next.

"When you were eight?" Stellan quietly asked and I looked up at him, something in his voice making me feel a bit uneasy. He swallowed hard for a moment, "which means I was twelve."

"Do you think he," I trailed off as I straightened and set my knife down. Stellan nodded and we looked away from each other. I picked over my memories of Mr. Emerson from as early as I could remember. I'd already had my locket by then, it was right around the time I started wearing my contacts as well. I could almost see the conversation that must have passed between himself and my mother the day he found Stellan. I looked over at him, still lost in his own memories and shook my head.

"Guess all the paranoia makes sense now." I grumbled and started making hard chops into the squash. "As if all the Charlie stuff wasn't already messed up."

"Charlie?" Stellan broke his concentration and looked down at me. I shook my head and slammed my knife down onto the squash.

"Not in the mood to unpack that one." I said to the cutting board as I kept banging my knife into the squash, luckily the knives were so sharp my inept skills weren't completely mangling the vegetable. Stellan finished off his glass and hopped off the counter, coming to stand next to me and started chopping the tomatoes.

"Where was your favorite place to live?" He quietly asked and I felt my whole body relax appreciating, once again, how he always seemed to know how to diffuse my moods without embarrassing me.

"New Orleans was probably my favorite." I smiled as memories came flooding back in from the brief stint in the Big Easy. "It was only two years ago, we came right around Mardi Gras and I just remember the city feeling so alive. There was something so much more authentic about it, but the humidity was awful."

"Where was the worst place you lived?" He finished off the tomatoes and moved over to the stove depositing his full cutting board. When he made it back to the counter he reached around me to pull out the potatoes.

"Minnesota." I answered and Stellan started laughing. "It's the truth. But I knew we'd be moving in a year, if not earlier, so I figured I could tough it out."

"I can't say I was impressed by it." He smiled as he chopped. I went and deposited the squash and pulled out the leeks, giving them a good shake before putting them down on my cutting board.

"Well I know Minnesota was impressed by you." I smiled, "I've never seen so many girls abandon their prom dates so quickly."

"I have that effect on people," he smirked and moved over to the stove again. I let out another laugh as he tossed his cutting board and knife into the sink. He came up right behind me, pressing against me as I finished up the leeks.

"Elodie told me that once, in Istanbul." I pushed back against him to move toward the stove and he let me pass, but not without a hand running across the small of my back.

"She would know." He moved toward the wine bottle again and I leaned forward and plucked it from his hands. I turned to the stove and poured what was remaining onto the veggies and started picking through all the spices displayed in glass bottles next to the stove.

"And I bet you did nothing to help." I told the spices. Every label was in French so it was taking me some time to examine all the different bottles for what I was looking for, opening and smelling those I was uncertain of. When I finally found the bouquet garni I turned around to find Stellan right behind me.

"I was the loyal one between the two of us." He replied, his voice low, and then he reached next to my hip and turned the knob on the stove, the fire roaring to life under the pot. I smiled up at him and murmured,

"I have no doubt that you were loyal." I leaned back against the counter, "but we both know you're a flirt."

He smiled and leaned down until his mouth was at my ear and whispered, "only with pretty girls."

I laughed, but it quickly cut off as Stellan's lips brushed across my own, the kiss deepened quickly. His hands wrapped around my hips as my own snuck up under his shirt to press my cold fingers into his warm back. I pulled back for a second to take a breath when a door closed behind us somewhere in the house. As the heavy footsteps made their way toward the kitchen he took a step away from me and we both watched as Jack entered the room. He surveyed the scene: the cutting boards, the pot, the two of us, and then locked eyes with Stellan and nodded before promptly moving out onto the patio. As he stretched his arms above his head I whispered to Stellan,

"What's your favorite Godfather movie?"

"I suppose, the second one." He answered, confused. I let out a noise of frustration, unable to take my eyes off of Jack as he wandered further and further out into the grounds. I couldn't help but feel used. The people we had trusted the most had been knowingly and purposefully weaving the three of us together for the better part of a decade. I could feel Stellan watching me watch Jack and then he nodded and lowly said,

"Don't say anything about Charlie around Luc and Colette."

I abruptly turned to stare at him as Jack's back disappeared around the corner.

"How," I started to say but he shook his head,

"We don't need to give them even more ammunition."

"It's just so," I started but shook my head and abruptly cut off turning toward the veggies that were now starting to sizzle. I dumped the spices into the pot as Stellan went searching through the pantry for a moment, returning with chicken stock. He dumped it in and I put the lid on and turned the heat down, and then we just stared at each other.

"If Fitz knew, the moment he found you in Russia, why would he keep that information from my mother?" I finally said to him. Stellan shook his head,

"No, _kuklachka_ , he did tell her. That's why she started to run. A girl with purple eyes is easy to hide, a boy with fireproof skin is easy to hide, but if we were to ever cross paths...if the Circle ever figured it out," he broke off.

"If the Order ever figured it out." I added and we looked at each other for a long moment before the front door fired open with a bang that shook the windows.

Stellan pushed my shoulder down, hard, until I was in a crouching position on the floor. He ducked down below the lip of the counter, reaching for his gun. My heart jumped into my throat and I froze until I heard a strangled cry - then he was gone. It was as if he'd vanished he moved so fast. I rounded the corner as fast as I could and two sets of eyes met mine before we all looked down at the ground where Stellan was completely draped over some little thing in sparkly pink sneakers that was sobbing loudly into the silent living room.

Jack crashed in from the patio and his eyes found mine, stunned, and it all caught up to me in that moment - Anya. Elodie had done it. So where was Elodie? I scanned the room in the same moment that Jack did, Colette and Luc still transfixed on the scene playing out on the floor.

"Where's Elodie?" I asked over Anya's sobbing. Jack and I both moved toward the front door, he reached it before I could and there she was, leaning against the wall, weeping into her hands. Her always meticulous hair was falling out of a sloppy ponytail as she struggled to take a breath. I moved toward her but Jack threw a hand out and I stopped immediately.

"Are you hurt?" He laid gentle hands on her shoulders and she shook her head continuing to cover her face with her hands. Everything on her was shaking, and that's when I noticed her white shirt - splattered with blood.

"Jack," I lowly called out and he glanced toward where I was pointing to on her shirt.

"El, what happened?" Her shoulders started shaking from another round of silent tears and Jack ran his hands down her arms as she took in a sucking breath trying to compose herself. I'd never seen her like this - ever. If the terrified look on Jack's face was any indication neither had he. Right as Elodie seemed to compose herself a bit Anya let out another wailing sob, quickly smothered by Stellan's crushing hug. I looked toward Colette and Luc who had moved next to each other still shocked into silence, to Jack trying to console Elodie and couldn't help it,

"What the hell happened?!"

Anya let out another wail and Stellan scooped her up and disappeared down the hallway toward his room. Luc finally snap into action and rushed over toward Elodie. Together with Jack they supported her on both sides and guided her over toward the couches, sitting on either side of her as Colette and I closed ranks in a small circle. She took a disjointed hiccuping breath and then pressed her trembling hands onto her blood splattered jeans.

"I made it to Russia before the Saxons did." She started, her voice thick and wavering with each word. "But right as I was about to snatch Anya and leave, I was stopped."

Jack put a steady hand over her shaking one and Elodie closed her eyes for a moment before opening them and looking at me.

"It was Scarface - Rocco. Lydia sent him to get Anya. Luckily, he recognized me before he pulled out his gun...because otherwise I'd be dead right now." She stopped and bit her lip, hard, her jittering hands clenching into fists as she battled off another round of tears. I felt something pinch in the pit of my stomach.

"Oh El," Jack quietly murmured, seeming to have pieced together something before I did. Luc closed his eyes, his face going white. Her quiet voice filled the room,

"He didn't say much. He gave me his SIM card and this letter, tossed his phone into the river, and told me he wanted it point blank between the eyes."

"No," I gasped. "No, no, no."

"I've never had to do that…" Elodie started and was overcome with tears again as Jack crushed her against his chest. But I couldn't hear any of it, my world had suddenly washed out into white noise, and I grasped around until I found something to lean against. Everything came roaring back and I threw my hands over my face bowing toward my knees. Sound started reaching me again in fragments,

"It's okay...don't blame...Anya is safe…" I dropped my hands and looked into her splotchy, haunted face.

"But why? Couldn't you have just wounded him?"

"Not after the stunt you pulled with Stellan at Notre Dame." Elodie replied and untangled herself from Jack's hug.

"Couldn't he have run?" I pleaded. Again she shook her head,

"Just so Lydia and Cole could torture all he knows out of him? He gave me all the information he's gathered and all his contacts. The information is more important than…"

"Don't say it," I threw my hands up right as Elodie closed her eyes again, tears streaming down her face.

"He said Lydia was suspicious ever since we all escaped the manor. She picked him for this on purpose. He couldn't come back empty handed or they'd torture everyone on staff to see who else might be a double agent. But he couldn't bring her back - not after he plead allegiance to the 13th family - Anya is part of the 13th family." Elodie locked eyes with me, bloodshot and hollow.

"So the only way to protect everyone was to kill him." I finally pieced it together - cursing myself for being so much slower than everyone around me.

"He just asked that I give this to Samarah Emir and told me I had to keep it together and get Anya back with all the information or he died in vain. So I did." Elodie finished with a solid voice and wiped some tears off her cheeks with the backs of her hands before reaching into her jacket pocket to pull out a small envelope. We all looked at the worn edges of it, there was only a single word scrawled in what I could only assume was Arabic across the front.

"Elodie, I'm sorry." I started quietly, tearing my eyes away from Rocco's last request.

"Anya has been crying for two days. She didn't see me do it, but she must have heard the shot. I don't think she put it together. I hope she…" Elodie broke off and looked toward the hallway. I looked up toward the ceiling as Colette moved toward the bar. We all waited until she came back with a drink, Elodie threw it back with a single breath and held out the glass, the ice trembling a little in her shaky hand, Colette quickly left to fill it again.

"This is all my fault." I broke the silence.

"Avery, no." Elodie sniffled.

"It is. I am the one that made us lose three days." I shook my head and swallowed hard.

"It would have been the same outcome." Elodie reached for her glass from Colette. "If he didn't get her in Russia he would have been sent to find all of us."

"Someone will be sent now because he didn't come back." Jack added. "We have to leave. It's the only way to stay ahead of them, if we're lucky."

"Lucky?" I looked over at Jack and Luc furrowed his brow before answering,

"They probably already know we're here. There are only so many places we could be hiding out since you only have Colette's resources to pool from."

"They are probably assuming your personal resources as well." Jack looked over at Luc and they both nodded at each other. "All the more reason to keep moving from this point onward. Now that we have other Families willing to assist we have more choices of where we can stay."

"So where are we going?" I looked around the group and felt the momentum stall out. Colette and Luc looked at each other for a moment before Colette spoke,

"We have an idea. But we need some more time to look into it."

"What about the letter?" Elodie quietly asked and we all broke off the conversation to look back at Elodie. She was holding it in one hand, her empty drinking glass in the other. It looked so battered, like Rocco must have been holding onto it for a long time. Then I had a flash of Samarah's beautiful, miserable, face at her family's complex when I had been paraded in front of them by the Saxons.

A startlingly sharp clench of anger jabbed in my stomach and I balled my hands on my jeans trying to stem it. The Saxons had killed not only her older brother and her younger brother, but now they had killed someone who had obviously had a serious relationship with her if his dying wish had been to have us deliver this message to her. The rage thrummed through me so quickly I had to stand up and walk away for a moment. I felt everyone's eyes follow me and forced myself to come back to the group.

"We have to get the letter to her. Personally." I managed to get through my clenched teeth. "It's the very least we could do for him."

"I'll get in touch with her," Luc replied and I nodded. "Maybe she'll be able to cross paths with us somewhere and we can hand it off."

"What do you think it says?" Colette broke in and I looked at her to see her eyes transfixed on the small, white rectangle. We all went quiet, contemplating it for a moment when Jack's gaze met mine from across the group. I could only keep eye contact for a beat before I swallowed hard and looked away, the moment between us too intense. He knew what it said - because he could write a letter just like it...to me.

"What is that smell?" Luc broke the tension and I shook my hands out a bit before frowning. It felt stupid to have made the soup for everyone now.

"I made some...soup." I lamely answered.

"Good, I'm starving. Let's get some for Elodie first." Luc reached down and slung an arm around her shoulders.

"I'm not hungry," she replied, still looking at the letter. Luc carefully pulled it from her fingers and tucked it back into her jacket pocket. He then took her glass and set it down on the coffee table.

"You need to eat something. That was expensive whiskey."

We all filed into the kitchen, Colette pulling out enough bowls and spoons for us, Luc ladling out the soup and placing the meal in our hands, and then we just stood there. Jack pushed it around in his bowl for a moment before trying it,

"It's edible." The side of his mouth quirked with a smile and I shook my head, annoyed, remembering the few weeks we'd spent making quick and mostly tasteless meals with each other in Paris. Luc and Colette let out little noises of agreeance and then we all noticed Elodie, pushing the food around without taking a bite. A few quiet moments passed as we all took bites and watched her not eat, and then I couldn't pretend to eat anymore.

"You can eat later if you want Elodie." I leaned forward to take the bowl from her hands. She looked up at me, grateful, and then nodded and moved out toward the patio without another word.

"Let's go finalize that idea," Luc supplied and he, Colette and Jack all put their half eaten bowls in the sink and moved back toward the study.

"Go check on Stellan," Luc called over his shoulder and I nodded to the empty kitchen. Right, Stellan and Anya, that's what I should do. I turned the stove off and moved toward the bedrooms, but I couldn't bring myself to turn left. What if she was still sobbing? A stranger asking if she was okay wasn't going to help that. Or what if Stellan was emotional - I didn't think he'd want me to see that.

Instead I turned right and entered my room quickly moving to my TV. I pushed a bunch of buttons on the remote, mostly trial and error, before the security cameras from all over the house filled my giant flatscreen TV. My eyes scanned over the boxes looking for them, when I spotted him sitting on his couch, a small blanket covered ball in his lap. I took a step forward to get a better look in the same moment that he shifted a bit on the couch. A spill of blonde hair was covering the knee that her head was on, her face toward him, and a single fist clutching his shirt. Her chest rose and fell smoothly and I realized she was asleep.

Stellan slowly moved the hand that was resting on the arm of his couch toward her little fist. The hand that had been stroking her back slowly lifted as well and he methodically pried her fingers off his shirt one by one before resting her hand at her side. Then in one smooth movement he guided her head toward the couch as he slid out from under her. He was able to do it all so effortlessly it made me believe this happened often between them. She stirred a bit and he tucked the blanket in tighter before touching her head again and turned to leave. For a moment I just watched Anya sleeping, despite my peripheral vision picking up movement along the other boxes on the screen.

We had lost so much just to gain one person. There was no doubt in my mind how important she was, but I couldn't help but still feel defeated. My memories of Scarface twisted with the stabbing anger in my gut and I felt sick from it. He'd gone from an enemy to an ally to a martyr in just a matter of months all because of me. Who knows what his life could have been without all my interference. He'd still have been Terminated by the Emir's, but obviously he'd been holding out hope that something would have allowed him to give that letter to Samarah. The worst part was she probably thought he was dead and now we had to shatter her world again. I closed my eyes and pressed my lips shut tight so the building swell of emotion couldn't break through and felt a hand on my shoulder. I knew it was Stellan, even with my eyes closed, and tried to relax. The last thing we needed was for him to misinterpret all our misery. We had Anya, she was safe now. That made it worth it, right?

"Are you okay?"

His voice was low but it seemed loud in my scrambling brain and I opened my eyes and looked at Anya on the couch again before releasing my lips,

"Rocco's dead."

"What?" He squeezed my shoulder as he said it and I watched Anya stretch out on the couch, her pink sparkly shoes catching on the lowlights of the room.

"Lydia sent him to Russia. Elodie had to kill him."

"Elodie?" His incredulous voice filled the room and he dropped his hand from my shoulder to start toward the door.

"Don't," I called out to him and tore my eyes from the TV. He turned to me, half out the door, "she needs a minute. She's still processing it all."

"But," he moved again and I shook my head. He leaned heavily against the doorjamb and looked down the hall toward the smattering of sound coming from the study. "What happened?"

I looked back at the TV, knowing that if I looked at him as I broke the new of our current setback I wouldn't be able to stem the flow of angry tears that would form. Instead I watched the patio where I couldn't see Elodie, even though I knew she was there, and the study as the other three poured over a single book as I debriefed Stellan.

"So we leave in the morning?" He questioned and I nodded as I watched Anya squirm on the couch a little before rolling over, the blanket slowly slipping off her.

From the corner of my eye I saw him move toward me until he was standing right next to me, the two of us bathed in a blueish glow as we watched the TV in silence. Finally Stellan took a small breath and whispered,

"Is it wrong that all I feel is relieved - despite what happened to Rocco?"

"Of course not." I took a step toward him and leaned my head against his upper arm. "Anya isn't just important to you, she's important to all of us."

"Because she's part of the 13th bloodline?" He cautiously asked as we both watched Anya pull at the blanket in her sleep. I took a step away to look up at him already shaking my head before I spoke,

"Because she's your sister. If you love her, I love her. That's how family works."

"Which family are you talking about?"

I looked at him, confused for a moment, before I realized the significant weight of what I'd just said. That word had only meant one thing to me up until this moment. Stellan and Anya were family, but they were also part of the 13th Family, and yet still one more scenario remained. Between the darkness of the moment a small burst of hope broke through and a smile spread across my face,

"Ours. You and me."

Stellan reached down and cupped my face in his hands before placing a long kiss to my forehead, " _vykhodi za menya_."

"What was that?" I whispered, but I had a feeling I already knew what he'd said. I could feel it in the pit of my stomach. Stellan's hands slipped down my arms until he was holding onto my left hand, his thumb and pointer finger squeezing the empty space on my ring finger.

" _Épouse-moi_." He tried again, slowly, in French, and a small smile started to break across his lips. I pushed up onto my toes so I could reach him and murmured against them,

"Yes."

* * *

A/N - To my trio of awesome - maidenpride, Laura and Trubie525 - thank you for all the support and comments!

Chapter Soundtrack

The Chainsmokers ft. Halsey - Closer

Major Lazer ft. Justin Bieber & M0 - Cold Water

Kiara - Gold


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER SIX**

"Say that again," he murmured against my lips and then left another kiss. I leaned away from him a few inches and rose an eyebrow,

"Oh, now you speak English."

"Calculated risk. I've been turned down so many times in English," he started and I leaned back into him, our lips immediately touching again. My fingers played with the hair at the nape of his neck as the kiss deepened and I couldn't help the little sound of need that came out of my throat when his tongue touched my own. Stellan's arm tightened around my waist and the frantic energy between us sparked right as we both heard Jack's voice,

"Where could they both be?"

" _Vous êtes sûr que vous voulez savoir_?" Colette countered and let out a little laugh. Whatever she said made Stellan release me, but then he grabbed my hand, threading our fingers and took a settling breath as Colette and Jack poked their heads into the open bedroom door.

"We need you in the study," Jack said directly to Stellan. He squeezed my hand and let go to quickly follow them out the door. I stood and moved toward the TV searching the security camera's again. Anya was still sleeping, but I couldn't find Elodie anywhere. She couldn't still be outside, could she? All the building lust in my stomach was quickly put out with a cold splash of fear. My feet were moving toward the patio before I even realized what I was doing.

I pushed through the french doors and moved toward the padded lounge chairs facing out toward the ocean. You could see all the twinkling lights of the city below before they abruptly stopped in front of a line of darkness - the sea. I sucked in mind clearing breaths of fresh air - one after the other - and then, not seeing her in the darkness, flopped onto an empty chair. There was only a moment of perfect silent stillness before I heard a click and then a flame. Startled I jumped to my left to see Elodie lighting up a cigarette. Her face was dimly illuminated by her lighter for a moment and then it was just blackness and a single orange circle of light.

I heard her take a long drag on her cigarette and exhale before I moved to stand.

"I didn't mean to bother you." I mumbled.

"Sit." She demanded. "For a private villa there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of privacy, right?" She took another drag.

"Not really," I answered and settled back into the chair letting the darkness and cool evening breeze cover me. She was so quiet next to me it could almost be the wind I was hearing - except for the menthol smell.

"So you've let Stellan corrupt you after all." She exhaled again and I heard her chair creak as she resettled. My cheeks blazed red and I felt my whole body clench with embarrassed anger. I bit my tongue so I wouldn't immediately go on the attack and managed to evenly push out,

"After everything that's happened, that's what you want to talk about?" I tried to look out past the dark horizon instead of at her. It was odd to see such blackness expanding out toward the sparkling sky.

"You shouldn't feel so bad about Jack," she inhaled. So this _was_ what we were going to talk about. I let out an annoyed breath,

"Can we not?"

I looked over at her through the darkness, just shadows and a single moving orange circle. She flicked her cigarette and a red ember fell to the ground. The cigarette bobbed a bit in the air and it clicked in my brain - this was probably the only thing she _could_ talk about. Trivial relationship bullshit was much easier to force conversation with than the absolute existential crisis she was probably suffering through.

"He's not in love with you." She continued in response to my silence. "He's in love with a memory of you. Much like I'm still in love with the memory of who he used to be."

She stopped and I bit my lip to stop the immediate retort I wanted to give. I could take an embarrassing and humiliating conversation with Elodie if it would make her feel better. It was the least I could do. If I could distract her even for ten minutes it would be worth it. Besides, Elodie and I might not always get along but her brutal honesty was always spot on.

"And who did he used to be?" I cautiously countered.

"Gentler." She sighed. "Funnier. Enigmatic."

I blinked a few times in the darkness, wetting my contacts, and then looked back over at her. Another long drag from her cigarette bobbed in the air and she let the smoke out with a small sigh.

"So what happened with Oliver is what changed him?" I ventured a guess.

"It changed all of us. Well," she paused, her next words sounding muted as she talked through the smoke in her mouth, "not Stellan. Stellan is always the same. But the Dauphin's and the Saxon's - all of us were different. It became the example of why you don't let your Keepers get too friendly."

"That hardly seems fair." I crossed my arms over my chest. "It was supposed to be an accident. Though I'm starting to believe nothing is ever an accident when the Circle is involved."

Elodie let out a short snort of laughter, "which is why Stellan is better for you anyway. The two of you feed into each other's power, you lift each other. He does that, he _taquine sur_ a stronger version of yourself."

"Is that why you two didn't work out?" I shivered in the breeze. "You seem plenty strong to me."

"We didn't work out because Jack is a better kisser." Elodie quickly quipped and snuffed out her cigarette sending us into total darkness. After a beat she laughed and replied, "I'm kidding."

We shared a quiet laugh for a moment, and then another long moment of silence. I crossed my legs as well, starting to get very chilled. I should probably go in, but I wasn't going to leave until I knew she'd be alright by herself again.

"Even after everything I went through to bring Anya here I'm half expecting them to be gone tomorrow morning. Just a glass full of his blood and a note of apology." Elodie broke the silence. "I wouldn't blame him."

"I thought about doing the same thing. So many times now." I added.

"But," I heard her shift again in her seat and with a flick lit another cigarette, "you don't escape the Circle. Stellan knows this all too well. It's just an endless loop." She drew out the last word, her accent thick, her voice fatigued.

"We can change all that. We _have to_ change all that." I emphasized.

"Just an endless loop of orphans being forced into indentured servitude for a bunch of sociopaths." Elodie continued, like she hadn't even heard me. I looked over, startled, to see her take another long drag. In the darkness I saw her swipe at her face with the hand holding her cigarette. She let out a single sniffle and then blew out her lungful of smoke.

"Elodie," I gently said and waited until she turned. "You owe me nothing. You don't have to stay. I don't own you, neither does Stellan. It won't be like this for much longer."

"Oh I know." She nodded and took another drag. "That's why I'm going to stay. My vengence."

"That," I paused as my whole body shivered, "I completely understand." After another beat I pushed up from my chair and stood next to her for a moment. "Do you want me to stay out here with you?"

" _Non, je vais bien_." She distractedly replied, letting out another long breath of smoke. I hesitated for another moment, not knowing exactly what she said, but understanding the tone. When she continued to ignore me I moved past her into the house, the doors quietly shutting behind me, and came face to face with Jack.

"Oh," his jaw clenched. "Sorry."

I took a moment to detail him, beginning of a beard, bloodshot eyes, chapped lips, slumped shoulders, shaggy hair. He looked as miserable as I bet he probably felt. My heart ached for him and I opened my mouth to say...anything when he ducked his head and tried to move past me. I grabbed his arm and he froze in place staring at the point where our skin touched with a mix of regret and anger so intense that I instantly let him go, swallowing hard.

"Please wait," I started and took two steps back from him, trying to create some space from his still radiating emotions. "I don't think Elodie should be left alone right now."

"Why?" His eyes shot right to my face, worried.

"She seems," I looked out toward the patio, "off."

He nodded and moved around me toward the patio doors calling out to her as soon as he opened them, "Elodie?"

"Jackie?" Her confused voice lifted from the grounds toward us, her cigarette bobbing in the darkness. The door closed and I watched his shadowy form move toward her, and then sit on her lounge chair.

I stood there for a moment analyzing everything when a single line echoed back into my thoughts - you don't escape the Circle. It all started looping out in front of me in my mind's eye. Rocco being killed twice by the Circle. Mr. Emerson being kidnapped and murdered by the same Circle Family that employed him. My mother…

I felt the jab of pain just below my heart fracturing out across my chest as I tried to contain it. My mother thinking she'd managed to escape the Circle, at least those first few years, before we had to run. My mother having to keep so much from me, knowing exactly what would happen if we were ever found. My mother's panicked message on my voicemail, begging me to stay where I was. And then my own reckless, misguided self being lured into the gilded cage my mother had been trying to keep me from my whole life. An endless loop.

I spun around and made a quick line for my room. It was building in my chest faster than my throat could swallow it back down. My shaky hands struggled to twist the knob on the door as I tried to close it quietly behind me. I didn't want to make a scene, even though I felt like I was going to shatter from the weight of it all.

I stumbled toward my bed and grabbed the first pillow I could get hands on shoving the ridiculously high thread count against my face and let out a low screaming sob into it. It came pouring out of me, quicker than I could control. Violently sobbing into my pillow, I couldn't catch my breath nearly suffocating from the weight of it all. I managed to back into the wall and blindly lowered myself to the ground, afraid to move the pillow away from my face.

How stupid could I be? I was trapped here now, in all the most terrifying ways. I didn't have any family left to help me. I didn't have anything to actually identify my body if the worst occurred. I didn't have a single cent to my name to escape with. But worse than that - I couldn't escape this now. I couldn't leave the four people that had seen me through to this point. I couldn't leave Stellan. But I couldn't do this. We couldn't do this. Everyone was so broken. How can you defeat unlimited power and money? How could we possibly find the tomb when I was terrified to leave this house? How am I supposed to lead the Circle when all I want to do is murder them all for what they've done to each individual in this house? How could we all work as a team with all this simmering, smoldering past?

I actually choked on my tears a little and moved the pillow away from my face sucking in a shuddering breath before letting my head fall back onto the wall, I squeezed my eyes as pools of tears raced down my face and finally opened them to see Stellan sitting next to me. I hadn't heard him come in. His long legs stretched out toward the bed and he held out another pillow for me. When I didn't take it he set it down and made a little 'come here' motion with his hand. I slide, sideways, across the small space between us until my wet cheek pressed against his shirt sleeve.

"What the hell are we going to do?" I lowly asked and then let my whole body shiver with the sniffle that shook through me.

"Tonight," he inched closer to me, "no one is going to sleep alone."

He slid his arm around my waist and pulled me flush against him and then pulled us both to standing. He led me away from my own bed and down the hallway toward his room and I bit my lip until I tasted blood, trying to stem the hysteria still building within me. He quietly opened his door and guided me toward his TV, lighting up the dark room. I looked at the split screen, showing all the different cameras around the house. Luc and Colette were already passed out on Colette's bed, open books and laptops spread out around them. On the lower left square I saw Elodie and Jack laying on Jack's bed, their hands entwined but their bodies far away from each other as they both zoned out to some TV show. Finally I saw a tiny little lump on Stellan's couch and turned around in his grasp to see Anya's blanket rise and fall.

"Tomorrow _kuklachka_ ," he whispered in my ear. "Tomorrow we fight."

I nodded, leaning against him, and tried to calm my shuddering breaths as we both watched Anya sleep. With another tug we moved toward his bed, crawled under the covers and he pulled me to his chest. He leaned down and left a lingering kiss to my temple. I closed my eyes and tried to relax into him. The longer he held me the deeper I sunk into his side until I could feel his heartbeat against my back. Slowly my breathing started to level out and I tried to focus just on the rhythm of his heart. _Bump-bump. Bump-bump._

Elodie's words swirled around in my brain right before I gave into the exhaustion of it all. _The two of you feed into each other's power, you lift each other._ Was there ever going to be something she was wrong about?

* * *

Before I even opened my eyes I could feel Stellan's back pressed against the length of my own. I wasn't ready to face this day. I wasn't sure I had it in me. I was contemplating trying to go back to sleep when I heard a small, whispering, voice with a thick Russian accent,

"Do I have to go back?"

" _Nyet_." Stellan murmured, it rumbled in his chest and onto my back.

"I get to stay here with you?"

"Maybe not here, but you get to stay with me from now on." He whispered back.

"But what about all my clothes? My school?"

"I'll buy you new clothes and find you a new school." He lowly answered and I heard Anya thump on the blankets a bit, shifting around.

"Can I call my friend to tell her where I am?"

" _Nyet_." He replied firmly. "No one can know where you are now. It's not safe."

There was a long moment of silence as she contemplated this and I held my breath waiting to hear what she would say, knowing full and well this is what Stellan had been so worried about. I could not imagine being seven and having your whole world turned upside down like this. I was barely handling it at almost 17.

Then it hit me...it was my birthday today. Just perfect. I'd managed to assassinate the only advantage we had, almost get Elodie killed, and almost lose Anya in the process - all on the eve of my 17th birthday...when you get claimed into your Circle family. At least no one in this house knew it was my birthday, I couldn't think of a worse day to celebrate.

"Is that why Elodie came to get me?" Anya quietly asked and I released my breath, shaken from my trance. Stellan tensed next to me, noticing, but continued.

"Yes. I just want you to know that as long as you are with me you will be safe. No one in this house will let anything bad happen to you."

"What about her?" I heard the sheets crinkle as Anya moved. "She has pink hair."

"That's Avery," he answered and I felt his heel run down my calf.

"Oh! The girl you told me you liked?" Anya whispered, excited. So Stellan had already been talking about me with his little sister...very interesting.

"Yes," Stellan laughed a little as he replied. "We should let her sleep. What do you want for breakfast?"

" _Syrnik!_ " She excitedly replied and I heard her scramble out of the bed.

" _Syrnik? Chto-to proshche!_ " He called after her in Russian as I heard her feet quickly pound out of the room toward the kitchen. Stellan rolled over in bed and pulled me against himself, dropping a kiss onto my shoulder, "happy birthday."

"Don't you dare let anyone else know it's my birthday." I warned, my voice thick with sleep.

"Jack knows it's your birthday too." I could feel him smile against my shoulder, the stubble scraping me.

"Damnit." I clenched my jaw. "How?"

"Because it's our job to know these kinds of things _kuklachka."_ He rolled away from me. I turned to see him stretch, his white shirt rising off his stomach. "Maybe he'll be too hungover to remember."

"Maybe he'll continue to avoid me like the plague." I countered eyeing him as he took off his pajama pants revealing the boxer briefs underneath.

"Like what you see?" He stopped and smirked at me. I turned red hot and bright red instantly. "Just ignore his discomfort."

"Like some awful Circle member would? Jack was...is my friend." I stammered. Stellan shrugged and jumped around a bit sliding into his dark jeans.

"We've been conditioned to it Avery. When you've spent most of your life being told not to feel what you're feeling it's pretty easy to turn it off. Especially if the person telling you to do it has the authority to end you if you don't." He stopped and looked at me with dark eyes, "which you do."

"Never." I shook my head. "I would never do that to any of you. And neither should you."

" _Stellan! YA goloden_!" Anya yelled down the hallway toward us. Stellan ran a hand through his hair and reached forward to squeeze my foot through the sheets.

"It doesn't matter, we're all going to be on a plane by noon. We can't stay here any longer."

"Where are we going?" I sat up a bit.

"Luc seemed to know last night. I'm sure that's what everyone will be debating at breakfast." His eyes raked over me like I didn't have covers and sheets and day old clothes on and I felt my breath come a little short in my chest.

"Oh," a little voice called from the doorjamb and we both snapped to look at Anya watching us. She quickly started to slink back into the hallway, her blue eyes wide with curiosity. Stellan cleared his throat and took a few steps toward her,

"Let's go _lyubov' moya_." He smiled and ushered her out the door. The phrase hit my ears and I suddenly felt wide awake. I fumbled for my phone on the bedside table. I did a quick search for Russian terms of endearment and there on the very first hit - _lyubov' moya_...my love. I looked up from my phone at the now empty doorway. Love.

" _Qu'est-ce qui ne va pas?_ " Elodie asked from the doorway and I blinked as she took form. I hadn't even seen her walk into the space.

"Nothing." I stammered and threw the covers off on my way toward the bathroom. Elodie moved on without another word and I looked in the mirror for a minute. Had I just answered her question? I really hoped I was picking up all these languages through osmosis - because if I wasn't this was probably the first sign of me losing my mind. I re-tied my hair, put some drops in my eyes and moved out toward the kitchen.

* * *

Spain. We were going to Spain. All the hours of research had turned up a special exhibit on Napoleon at the _Museo de Bellas Artes de Valencia_ on loan from a private collector. The exhibit included a curated collection of letters and diaries from his time in Spain - which was right around the time he'd made the bracelets in 1809.

After a rushed, half-eaten breakfast and Luc making angry sounding phone calls in French we were all fluttering around the house like a pinball game trying to pack. We weren't coming back, everything and anything needed to be shoved into a single bag for each person. I owned so little now that I'd finished almost immediately and moved out to the dining room setting my bag on the table. Luc slammed his bag down next to me and snapped into his phone,

" _Il vaut mieux être prêt!._ "

He jabbed his finger onto his phone's touch screen before looking over at me. I rose an eyebrow,

"Problems?"

"That's what you're wearing?" He looked me over with critical eyes. I glanced down at my jeans and grey tshirt and then at his blue pinstripe button up and matching bright yellow tie and crossed my arms self-consciously.

"Well, I didn't think the ball gown would be appropriate." I grumbled and he cocked his head to the side and grinned,

"So, what you're saying is that we need to go shopping in Spain?"

"Do we have to?" I frowned and then we both turned to see Stellan enter the dining room in his usual, ridiculously attractive, Keeper uniform. He set down his own bag and then Anya's small purple backpack onto the table and quickly buttoned up his jet black three button jacket, adjusting his skinny tie under the collar of his white button up and looked at us. Luc laughed,

"Yes. We can't have our Queen looking like a slob."

I sunk deeper into the chair and yanked at my locket, before turning annoyed eyes onto Luc,

"What did I say about the Queen stuff."

"I'm sorry, your Majesty." He teased and turned to Stellan, "we need to buy your wife some new clothes."

Stellan's eyes met mine over the table in a heartbeat, startled, and then we immediately looked away from each other. Luc, never missing an exchange between us, clicked his tongue and lowly added,

"So you _have_ taken my advice. Should we fit you both for rings in Spain?"

"Lucian," Colette glided into the room and I exhaled, happy for the distraction. She was wearing a fitted black turtleneck and blue lace knee length skirt that hugged every curve. She leaned over and adjusted her heel, "did you call Marcos?"

"Just hung up with him," he smiled and moved around the table to grab her bag and set it next to Stellan's. Elodie and Jack entered next, impeccably dressed, and I rolled my eyes to the ceiling, willing the earth to swallow me whole. Everyone looked so polished and professional it made me stand out even more with my messy ponytail and scuffed flats.

" _Anya, poydem._ " Stellan called out toward the rooms and Anya ran out in a scalloped white lace dress that somehow managed to also match her sparkling pink shoes.

"I give up," I mumbled and Luc's bright laughter filled the room. Everyone looked at me confused but Luc waved them off.

"We must go to Nela while we are in Valencia. I need to get a new silk for my _maman_."

"What makes you think we'll have time to shop?" Jack asked annoyed and slung his bag over his shoulder making his way toward the front door.

"There is always time to shop." Colette countered and threaded her arm through Elodie's gently tugging her along. I turned to Luc and mouthed,

'Thank you.'

He smiled and nodded, picking up Colette's bag along with his own and following the group. I looked around the house for a minute and took a steadying breath. This was really happening. We were leaving. The safety and history of all that had happened here over the last few weeks fluttered in my stomach and I swallowed the panic. We could do this. We _had_ to do this.

"Ready Avery?"

I turned to see Stellan and Anya eyeing me and smiled. Despite over a decade between them you could see the similarities in their big, blue eyes and the curve of their chins. I nodded, Stellan grabbed the bags, and the three of us were the last ones out the door.

* * *

This was most definitely the 'big plane'. I ran my fingers over the fabric of the upholstered swivel chair and looked out my window again, Cannes slowly disappearing as we rose into the clouds. The planes' purser had loaded all our luggage, and tended to the spread of fruit and cheese on the dark mahogany dining room table, complete with already chilled champagne. There were fresh lilies arranged in crystal vases mounted to end table that didn't move at all when the plane hit pockets of turbulence. I hadn't even seen the whole back half of the plane, which was complete with bedrooms and bathrooms. It was a little overwhelming, but I seemed to be the only one that felt that way. Luc and Colette had immediately sat down at the table and started drinking, Elodie and Jack next to them picking at the food as they started an impromptu planning session entirely in French.

Stellan had stretched out on a couch, an actual couch on an airplane, and was breaking into the conversation with quick answers in French, but I could tell he was fading. His eyes were bloodshot and dark circles were forming under them. I had barely slept last night, waking up fitfully only to feel him pull me close again. I had a feeling he hadn't slept at all. With every reply he just moved deeper into the couch until he rolled onto his left side and immediately passed out.

"Stellan?" Luc called out for a moment and then turned back to the group, "he's asleep."

The French picked up again and I debated trying to break into the conversation. I felt fuzzy and disoriented from the lack of sleep and the still raw emotions I'd forced myself to control last night. Plus, I couldn't shake the rotten mood since I'd realized it was my birthday. I pushed the annoyance aside and looked around the plane. There was at least one other person that didn't speak French - maybe I should go talk to her instead. The flight was under four hours and the rest of the group didn't seem like they were going to slow down at any point.

I rose from my seat, running my fingers lightly across Stellan's arm as I passed and started toward the back of the plane.

"Avery?" Colette asked and I turned to see all four of them looking at me expectantly.

"I'm just looking for Anya, since Stellan's asleep."

"Good idea, we can fill you in once we're done." Colette smiled and took a long sip of champagne.

They turned back to each other and I moved around a giant flat screen mounted to an interior half wall to enter into a bank of more traditional looking airplane seats. If you could call fully reclining leather swivel chairs traditional looking airplane seats. I found her there, glued to a window watching the clouds whipping past under us and cleared my throat so I didn't startle her. She turned to the sound, her hair swinging across her face for a moment before she quickly righted herself to sit properly in her seat and clasped her hands tightly in her lap,

"Hello."

"You can keep looking out the window." I quickly offered and moved through the short aisle in front of her. I sat and swiveled my chair until we were facing each other and inclined my head toward the window again. She thought about it for a second, pressing her fingers deeper into her hands, before shaking her head and quietly replying,

"It's just clouds anyway."

"I bet we'll start to see Spain soon." I offered and leaned toward the window myself to look out. "Have you ever been to Spain?"

"I'd never left Moscow until two days ago." She politely answered, her fingers still pressing into the tops of her hands. I couldn't help but smile a little at how she said Moscow - so different sounding than I'd heard Stellan say it. All his years operating in French seemed to have altered his accent.

"I've never been to Spain either," I offered and leaned back a little in my seat trying to make her feel comfortable. She was still sitting stick straight, her little fingers making the tops of her hands turn red they were pressed so tight. I couldn't tell if she was doing it because she was nervous or excited. "I'm hoping the small amount of Spanish I know will come in handy."

"Actually," she started in almost a whisper and I leaned forward to hear her, "they speak Castilian in Spain."

"How old are you again?" I immediately replied feeling the flush of embarrassment rise from my chest.

"Seven." She swallowed hard before she looked down at her hands again, nervous.

"So do you speak Castilian?" I knew she didn't but I wanted to try and keep the conversation going so she'd loosen up a bit.

"Just Russian and English." She released her hands and smoothed her skirt down a little.

"One more than me." I smiled and leaned back in my chair again. "I think your brother speaks, like, six languages."

Her eyes shot up to mine, excited and I smiled. There it was, we could talk about Stellan. She took a breath before quickly correcting me, "he speaks five languages: English, Russian, French, Castilian and Greek."

"Greek huh?" I crossed my legs in front of me and tugged on my locket. "Makes sense I guess."

"But his Russian has an accent now, and he's losing some words. He only has me to talk to I guess." She stopped and I nodded for her to continue. "This one time he was telling me about a trip he'd been on and he was trying to explain what the monument looked like but he couldn't remember the words in Russian."

She paused and took a breath before smiling and shaking her head, "he just kept trying in French and then finally he just told me in English and I laughed."

I bit my lower lip a little and laughed with her. I could get used to slightly embarrassing stories about Stellan. I gently prodded her for another, "he told me he's only able to visit you once a year."

"That's right," she pushed up in her seat so she could sit on her legs and spread her dress across her knees. "It's his birthday but he treats the day like it's my birthday and every other holiday he misses. It used to be a lot of presents, but now we just go do something fun."

"Like what?" I pulled my locket into my palm and squeezed until I could feel the circles digging into the skin.

"Last year we went to this circus just outside of town. It was really nice of him because he doesn't like clowns." She nodded sagely, remembering his sacrifice. I couldn't help myself and leaned forward with a conspiratory whisper,

"Clowns? What else is he afraid of?"

"Fire." She immediately responded and then pulled back into herself realizing what she'd said. Her hands came clasping back onto her lap and she swallowed hard. I released the locket and examined the interweaving circles on my palm for a moment before quietly saying,

"I know. But he's very brave, he saved Elodie from a fire."

Her face dropped into disbelief for a moment, color rising on her sharp cheekbones and she released her hands to tug her hair a bit on the right side, covertly sliding it to cover her scars. For a split second I was worried that I'd said too much.

"He did that?" She looked out toward the window for a moment, thinking about what I'd told her before returning with a determined face. She took a breath and then whispered, "he was never an accountant was he?"

I started shaking my head before realizing I probably shouldn't say anything. Her eyes took me in again and she nodded, an understanding forming between us. Maybe we were still strangers, but we could trust each other.

"What did he tell you?" I carefully asked.

"That I was in danger. That everyone on this plane would protect me. That I couldn't go back to Russia. That the two of us were special but it didn't change anything and I shouldn't expect it to." She stopped and then looked down the aisle a little before finishing, "He has a gun." She said it as a statement but I knew she wanted confirmation.

I nodded and took a steadying breath - I should not have opened this can of worms. I was not prepared to navigate this murky water without Stellan. I looked down at my locket and tried to think about what my Mom would have said to me in this moment. I pulled on the chain, letting it bite into the back of my neck, before taking it off and leaning forward toward Anya. Her eyes flew wide as I placed the chain over her halo of blonde hair,

"You are special, and we are in danger. But everyone on this plane will protect you. None of us can go back to where we're from, but as long as we have each other it will be fine. We're a family now."

She nodded, her fingers running down the chain until they reached the locket and she squeezed it in her palm. Right as she opened her mouth to say something the plane hit a pocket and dropped violently for a moment, everything shaking, before rumbling back out into smoothness. Anya and I clutched the armrests of our chairs as we heard a thump and then Stellan call out,

"Avery?"

" _Elle est là-bas._ " Luc quickly supplied and within a moment he was standing between our aisle blinking down at us, still groggy.

"You should go back to sleep." I pointed to the chair next to Anya and he collapsed into it before leaning back and reclining. He was so tall his boots were sticking off the end of the chair and he swiveled toward me crossing them on my knee before closing his eyes and relaxing back into the leather.

"You better not be telling her all my secrets, Anya." He smirked and I pushed his boots off, his chair dipping for a moment. He adjusted and with a deep breath started to fall back asleep. I leaned forward and whispered to Anya,

"Tell me all his secrets, Anya."

He turned to his left side, but not before I saw the smile on his face. Anya palmed the locket in her hand and beamed at me, looking fit to burst with stories.

* * *

A/N: Thank you to the lovely Laura and madienpride for their edits. Special thanks going out to Trubie525 on this chapter. Glad I can still write stuff that makes you squee. :)

 **Chapter Soundtrack**

The A Team - Ed Sheeran

Style - Taylor Swift

Champagne Problems - Nick Jonas

Company - Justin Bieber


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

The moment the cabin door opened on the plane we were hit with a wave of humidity, so intense Colette actually wrinkled her nose. For a single, vindicated, moment I looked down at my lightweight tshirt and jeans and smirked at everyone's formal attire. The moment was immediately lost as my skin became sticky and the sweat started to bead on my forehead. We made our way across the tarmac and into two, all black, tinted windowed, sedans. Colette, Luc and Elodie piled into the first one while the rest of us piled into the second, Jack opting to sit in front. It was blissfully cold inside the car and my good mood dampened a bit at the prospect of having to run all around Valencia in this weather for the rest of the day.

Anya hadn't really been able to give me much more dirt on Stellan. She told me that he called her every night to check up on her. Sometimes it would be very quick, because he was busy, but most of the time he had a long list of - what she deemed to be - annoying questions she had to answer before he would tell her anything about himself. But all that had changed just about a month ago when he called, like usual, but was so distracted she had asked him what was wrong. He had paused before telling her,

"There is this girl...Avery."

Her face had lit up, like the next part of her story was going to be amazing, and then the plane hit another pocket and Stellan had jolted awake with no intention of going back to sleep. Which had made the rest of the group pull us into their conversation on the plans for the day. Land. Lunch. Shop. Museum. Luc had been kind enough to point out to us that the middle of the day would be mostly useless due to most of the stores shutting down, so we needed to bypass the hotel altogether and make our way into town.

Anya started playing with my locket, running it back and forth on the chain, opening and closing it, twisting it to examine every inch in our silent car. Stellan leaned toward her and lowly mummered in Russian,

" _Bud'te ostorozhny s etim_."

"I am." She quickly replied and let it rest against her dress again, folding her hands in her lap, but her tone held a hint of annoyance with him. He countered her with a longer sentence in Russian that made her fingers press into the tops of her hands before she sharply turned to look at him. He nodded and she snuck a glance at me before releasing her hands and wrapping her fingers around the locket, pressing it toward her chest, as if to protect it.

I looked over the top of Anya's head at Stellan, raising an eyebrow in question but he just smirked and gave an order to the driver in Castilian. I couldn't take all the silence anymore and asked,

"So what's for lunch?"

"Knowing Luc," Jack started from the front seat, "something unnecessarily elaborate."

"But it will be good." Stellan countered and leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes.

"Who needs to eat paella mid-day?" Jack shook his head. We turned onto another street and I couldn't help but marvel at it all.

Valencia was dense in a way I had not been expecting for a coastal city. There was no space between each unique building and each one was at least four stories tall with wires and laundry cables connecting one to another. One building would be decidedly French with white walls and ornate black iron balconies, the next would be modern with floors of sleek reflective glass that sparkled in the sunlight as we passed. The streets were well maintained and clean but there was still grafitti everywhere - on trash cans, on utility doors, etched on the bus stops. Despite the speed the cars were moving at I managed to pick out a few curse words in black and blue spray paint along the side of a building. I smiled to myself, immediately remembering the neighborhoods we'd pass through when I lived in Los Angeles. There were people everywhere, despite the weather, walking and shopping along the tree lined boulevards. Our cars made a striking impression among all the scooters and motorcycles that outnumbered us at least five to one. I couldn't keep my eyes off the street lights, they looked like pearls being strung from looping black iron - a far cry from the fluorescent ugly poles, with shoes flung around the tops, in most of the neighborhoods I'd grown up in back in the States.

The cars pulled off the main road onto a side street and double parked in front of an entire line of scooters. There were four restaurants side by side, the only thing distinguishing their outdoor patios from each other was the decor. Each table seemed to stop their meal to get a better look at our cars. The driver for the first car stepped out and held the door open but no one exited. Right as I was about to ask what the hold up was every door but my own swung open as Stellan, Jack and the driver all exited.

"Right," I exhaled, remembering the plan. Colette was going to run a bit of interference and draw attention away from Stellan, Anya and I. Luc had picked this restaurant because it was off the main street and across the street from Zara, which I was told was some kind of department store. Colette was going to make an exit from the car, we were going to quickly move into the restaurant, and by the time we were done he was hoping the afternoon crowds would have thinned so we could just cross the street to the store. "Ready?"

Anya looked up at me, her fist still tight around my locket and nodded, her face set. Stellan opened my door and the two of us slid out and made a quick line toward the restaurant right as Colette stepped out of the car, adjusting her glasses. A few gasps could be heard before a mummer started. She looked back into the car asking Elodie and Luc something in French, Luc emerged with her purse, and I watched as phones started sliding out of people's pockets right as we hit the door to _La Mary_.

Jack made it to the hostess first and started speaking in Castilian. She smiled and made a gesture toward the back of the restaurant. He looked at us with a nod and we started weaving through tables. _La Mary_ was still busy despite it being the end of their opening for lunch. Couples were sipping wine over empty plates, locals were taking pictures of their desserts with their phones, two men in suits and ties were finishing some beers at the bar. We followed the hostess toward the back of the restaurant until we came to the back wall that held a red velvet curved booth that sat about ten. Behind the booth was an entire wall of professionally lit blue and white plates that matched the rest of the decor quite well, with the white clapboards and blown glass light fixtures. Jack thanked the hostess and glanced around the area for a moment. We were alone, only a few tables to be bussed, and seeming satisfied Jack slid into the booth without even a glance back at the rising volume of the customers as Colette made her way toward us. Stellan made a quick pointing gesturing toward the booth and Anya slid in without a word. I followed her next and settled down as Stellan perched on the end of the seat.

Through the mummers and bustle of the restaurant we could hear Colette speaking in French with Luc quickly translating to Castilian for some of the patrons. I wanted to smile at how surreal it all was but all I felt was tense. Looking at Jack and Stellan didn't make me feel any better. They seemed relaxed at first glance, but if you knew them better you knew they were on alert. Their eyes darted to everyone in the room, then the exits, then Colette, then the waiters - calculating, planning, scanning. Colette finally made it to our table and Jack stood up to let her in. She slid all the way across to sit next to Anya, Luc and Elodie filing in next. As soon as Jack and Stellan finally settled into the end seats the food started to arrive.

Croquettes, crusty bread, prosciutto over eggs, a plate of charcuterie, salad with heirloom tomatoes, a basket of french fries with some kind of dipping sauce all landed on the table on small plates with just enough food on each to be shared with one or two people at the table. Another waiter started setting chilled bottles of Pierre at each of our table settings, and I sat back in my seat a little overwhelmed at just how much had filled the table so quickly. Bottles of wine were being presented and Luc started pointing, glasses arrived next, and then everyone was gone and we were alone again with a table full of food and wine and everyone too nervous to eat.

"Have you ever had croquettes Anya?" Luc broke our silence and everyone turned to look at her, she shrank back into her seat and instinctively leaned toward Stellan pressing into my side as she shook her head. "These ones are pretty good. Not the best I've ever had but you should try one."

He leaned over the table and stuck a fork into one splitting it in half and slid part onto her plate, taking the other for himself. She took a tentative bite and then smiled and nodded, finishing the croquette in just a few bites and pushing up a bit in her seat to look at the rest of the food. Luc slid another whole croquette on her plate with a wink.

I reached for a piece of bread and then twisted off the top on my Pierre as Colette served herself and Elodie some of the salad. She sat back for a moment, glancing between Stellan and Jack a few times before letting out a sigh,

"Let's just tell them now."

"What?" Jack and Stellan said at the exact same moment and my shoulders shook with my suppressed laugh before I looked over to see Colette's worried face.

"Elodie put Rocco's SIM card into her phone on the plane. When we landed, it immediately started buzzing with messages."

"We were sifting through them on the car ride, it was hard to discern at first." Luc took a sip of wine and glanced over at Elodie, who remained silent. "But we might have a contact to meet up with here in Spain."

"What do you mean hard to discern?" Stellan leaned onto the table toward Luc so he could keep his voice down. Luc frowned and then answered,

"He had a strange naming system of his contacts. But it would seem that they are split into three groups: Saxon Order, trustworthy and easily bought. And before you ask - the contact here in Spain could be easily bought."

"Not worth it then." Stellan immediately replied and I saw Jack clench his jaw as he stopped himself from voicing his disagreement. Everyone looked away and I set my bread down and crossed my arms,

"Just say it Jack."

His gray eyes shot to mine across the table, stormy but grateful and he started, "just because they're listed as easily bought doesn't mean we should write them off."

"That's exactly why we should. We don't have the time or the resources to vet out people that would," Stellan started and then made a hard stop glancing down at Anya, "betray us."

Elodie pushed her empty plate away and grabbed some olives before lowly adding, "I could be translating it wrong. I agree with Stellan, but to be fair, my Arabic is beginner at best."

"We haven't replied to anyone yet, but it would appear that word traveled fast. Several of the messages were sent trying to confirm if Rocco was still," Colette paused glancing at Anya, "there. The fact that he hasn't replied in a few days surely confirmed it to those that knew him."

"All the more reason not to see this contact." Stellan shook his head as he said it and busied himself by piling a little of everything onto his plate. I glanced over at Anya who was slowly picking through the french fries, staying silent, but watching everything with her wide blue eyes. Jack stabbed at the egg on his plate and then took a breath to try again,

"We don't even know if the contacts listed as trustworthy are actually trustworthy, it's trusting Rocco's judgement. He didn't know the alliances we were forming. If we don't take any risks we'll never have enough manpower to find this tomb."

"Our group is already big enough," Stellan frowned at him but Jack was shaking his head.

"Don't even go there - you know I'm right. You know what we could make other Keepers do to make all this easier."

For a long, silent, moment the rest of us just looked back and forth between Jack and Stellan as they had one of their silent conversations again. It was broken only when a waiter showed up to start clearing plates and refilling glasses. Everyone else looked down at their plates but I took a swig of the Pierre and narrowed my eyes toward Jack,

"What would you make other Keepers do?"

Stellan and Jack's heads both lifted up from pretending to eat to look at me and Luc took a gulp of his wine muttering into the glass,

"Oh boy."

"They could help run security details and secure areas that we're going to investigate." Jack cautiously started.

"Which would only send off a bigger flag to the Saxon spies what we were doing." Elodie countered and I turned my full attention to her. Elodie had been near silent since last night and Colette and Luc seemed to be touching her with kid gloves all morning. The dark bags under her eyes and the stale cigarette smell that hung on her had led me to believe they must not have known how to help Elodie either. I didn't want to push her too hard, but she was a vital member of this team,

"What do you think Elodie?"

She slowly looked at me, her eyes bloodshot and mascara smudged - but not in an intentional way. "It would be a mistake to meet this contact."

Jack pushed his plate away as Stellan ran a hand across his forehead in frustration and I pressed,

"But why?"

"Because Jack isn't telling you everything. I know what he meant." She gave him a challenging look. "And because that's what a Circle member would do - and we're supposed to be destroying the Circle."

"She has a point," Luc said into his glass as he tipped it back to finish it. The waiter appeared again refilling his glass and started removing all the still full plates of appetizers from the table. I reached out and snatched my bread before it could be taken away. When the waiter left I turned back to her,

"Then what was the point of having Rocco in the first place?"

"Because you claimed him for the 13th." She looked at Stellan for a moment. "He was yours. Anyone else hasn't been claimed so they can't be trusted. Even if Rocco thought they were trustworthy."

The waiter and waitresses arrived again with plates full of food and I settled back into my seat thinking as they set up. Two different fish dishes, a chicken dish with a delicious looking sauce over the top of it, seafood with pasta, seared steak over a bed of greens, paella, and a cheeseburger of all things.

" _Parece deliciosa. Gracias._ " Luc smiled at the staff and they all left without a word. He pulled the paella toward himself and looked at the rest of us, "you better eat this food. It would be incredibly rude not to since they are staying open for us."

I snagged the chicken for myself and then looked over at Anya to ask what she'd like when Stellan reached across the table and picked up the seafood with pasta dish and set it down in front of her. She smiled at the plate and started working on all the shellfish. He leaned back against the booth and scanned the now empty restaurant for a minute before glancing at me.

The side of his mouth twitched like he wanted to smile but forced himself not to. I slid my free hand under the table to grab his own and tried to squeeze some reassurance into him. He squeezed back and then ran his thumb across the palm of my hand until it was on the underside of my ring finger. He started pressing against the empty space again and I smiled down at my chicken and tried to, unsuccessfully, cut it one handed.

"If we're not going to meet this contact can someone please tell me, again, why going shopping is priority?" Jack grumbled into the cheeseburger.

"Because Anya and Avery are wearing everything they own." Colette quickly answered and split the steak with Elodie. Jack rolled his eyes but kept his mouth shut.

"I am going shopping too?" Anya's small voice rose with excitement.

"Of course _ma princesse_ ," Luc exclaimed and bowed his head a bit toward her as Stellan shot him a very annoyed look. She pressed her lips tight before giving Luc a beaming smile in response, and even moody Jack seemed to relax a little. With one final squeeze to my finger Stellan released my hand and we all quickly finished our lunch under the watchful eyes of the remaining staff at _La Mary_.

It wasn't until we had made it to the front door that the hostess said something in Castilian to Luc, who then turned to Colette and asked her in French. She smiled and nodded and I started making my way toward the front door as the waiter and waitresses that had stuck around took individual pictures with Colette. I watched with mild detachment trying to wrap my brain around how quickly my life had changed. Not even two months ago I might have been that waitress taking a picture with Colette LeGrand and retelling the tale to anyone who would listen. It was surreal to imagine my life without her in it now, she'd become such a fixture for me. Right as all the picture taking was wrapping up the hostess asked Luc something in Castilian again and this time Luc, Stellan and Jack's heads snapped toward me with a worried glance. The hostess leaned around Luc to look at me a little closer and I swallowed hard, leaning against a booth. Luc looked over at Stellan and he shook his head. Luc turned to the girl with a frown,

" _Yo'm lo siento, pero no. No hay fotos._ "

I understood that one just fine with my two years of high school Spanish. I turned for the door and started moving toward the exit when I felt Stellan touch the small of my back and move me faster out of the restaurant. The rush of whispers in Castilian followed me out as the door shut behind us. Once we hit the street I looked up at him and quietly asked,

"I don't want to take any pictures. But why shouldn't I be taking any pictures?"

"Adds to the mystery, _kuklachka_." He stopped and we both turned around to see the rest of the group, Luc just steps behind us. "Besides, they already took your picture."

"What?" I looked back at Stellan, shocked, as we stopped at the crosswalk.

"You have to assume they always take your picture." Luc replied. "Especially after everything that happened to you in Italy."

The rest of the group caught up with us and I looked over at Colette with her giant sunglasses, perfectly styled hair and polished outfit. Was I always going to have to be 'on' like that now? It's one thing for the Circle to be watching us, for the Saxons to be watching us, but to also be some kind of C list celebrity was crossing into territory I didn't know I was comfortable with.

"So we split in the store?" Colette asked and I looked out at the busy street. Across from us in gleaming giant silver lettering was Zara. The storefront was at least two stories tall with huge window displays of faceless white mannequins showcasing their clothes for both women and girls. The plan was to split into two teams. Jack and Stellan were going to do their Keeper thing, Jack's priority being Anya and Stellan's being me and the rest of us were supposed to shop as quickly as possible.

"No more than an hour, that's when the cars are coming back anyway." Luc confirmed and the light changed for us to cross. We entered the store and my feet actually stuck to the ground for a moment at the sheer size of the place, I couldn't see the back of the store. It had an vaulted ceiling with the center of the store holding the elevator and winding stairs to the second floor. Everything was reflectively bright from the overhead spotlights highlighting tables and racks of clothes. The gleaming white with black stripe accent was duplicated on everything in the store, giving it a very modern and slick feeling. Stellan and Jack glanced at each other and seemed to simultaneously switch tactics.

"Colette, Elodie - you're with me." Jack ordered and reflexively checked the small of his back before moving closer to Anya and pointing toward the elevators in the center of the store. "Anya's section should be upstairs."

Anya looked up at Stellan for a moment, silently asking permission, and he smiled and waved her off, "have fun."

She skipped ahead of the group toward the elevators, the sparkles on her shoes picking up all the lighting for the displays as she moved. As we watched them leave I saw two store clerks weaving quickly through the displays toward us and Luc gave a little clap and rubbed his hands together before calling out toward them,

" _Perfecto. Necesitamos mucha ayuda_."

There was a quick exchange of pleasantries and then Luc gestured toward me. The two store clerks, one brunette with long wavy hair and green eyes, the other brown eyed with a severe black bob looked at me for a moment, then at Stellan wandering the displays behind us with little sighs of disappointment.

" _¿Usted habla inglés?_ " Luc asked the girls and they tore their eyes away from Stellan and both shook their heads. He shrugged and they gestured toward the side of the store that held all the women's clothing.

"Maybe it's better that way," I lowly said to Luc. "I'll only understand half the insults."

Luc let out a loud laugh that made everyone look toward us and I felt myself blush. We made our way toward a dressing room and the brunette pulled out a cloth tape measure, letting it flutter behind her as she started asking Luc a series of rapid fire questions. As they hashed out what was obviously the long list of items I'd need I saw Stellan settle on a large white leather couch positioned right outside the dressing rooms. I left Luc to his orders and sat flush against him. He rose an eyebrow at me,

"I would have thought you'd be into shopping."

"Not recently." I looked down at my hands and for a flash of a moment they were splattered with blood. I closed my eyes and quickly clenched them. Stellan shifted next to me and I popped my eyes back open, the memory gone, and busied my fingers with some fraying on a small hole in my jeans.

"What is it?" He hooked his pinky finger around one of my pointers, pulling it away from the fretting. I straightened my shoulders and tried to laugh it off, but the memory made my free hand clench a little,

"Last time I went shopping…"

"Prada." He quickly cut over me and pulled my hooked finger into his lap so he could cup my hand in his own. He leaned over and dropped a kiss into my hair, and I relaxed my head against his upper arm as we both heard Luc behind us,

" _Los estadounidenses no tienen ningún sentido de la moda._ "

Stellan laughed a little and I couldn't help but feel like Luc's statement might have been insulting. Luc pulled at the back of my shirt and I slid my hand out of Stellan's and moved toward the dressing rooms. The two girls descended on me, measuring every inch of me, turning me around in the three way mirror, gesturing for me to step out of my shoes before conversing in low Castilian and then taking off into opposite sides of our section. Luc finished checking something on his phone, frowned, and then looked up at me,

"What would you say your style is like?"

"That's a thing?" I countered and his eyes widened a little before he shook his head.

"It's worse than I thought," he reached forward and pulled my arm toward the large dressing room at the back.

"I might have had one - but I've sort of been a fugitive as of late." I defensively retorted as he pushed me into the space and pulled the floor length silver curtain closed with a flourish. I looked at the small gold stump that was supposed to be a chair and floor length mirror before poking my head out from the curtain, "What am I supposed to do in here?"

"Strip," he ordered, his purple eyes darkening with annoyance. My shocked expression made a hint of a smile form on his face, "And give me the clothes you're wearing."

"Why?" I pulled the curtain tighter around my neck, just a disembodied head reflecting endlessly in the three way mirrors to my right.

"I'm going to burn them," he exhaled and held out his hand toward me. I frowned and slunk back behind the curtain removing my shirt first. The curtain ripped open and I let out a little 'meep' as the two girls started hanging clothes on all the hangers of the small space, completely ignoring my half nakedness. Luc at least had the decency to look away and at his phone again. The blunt bob girl held out a dress to me,

" _Esto primero_."

"That one first, Avery." Luc translated, distracted. I took the dress from the girl and they both stepped out, closing the curtain behind them. I looked down at the dress and instantly knew it wasn't going to work. It was a long sleeved white looking coat with a jet black zipper running up the front, and belted with black satin. It was also incredibly short. I shimmied out of my jeans and pulled the dress on, looked at myself, shook my head, and pushed the silver aside to see all three of them start shaking their heads as well. The girls dove back into the space and started pulling other pieces out, shoving them into an empty dressing room before conversing with each other and taking off again.

"I would have thought everything looked good on you - you have the body type." Luc wrinkled his nose at the dress.

"As if this wasn't already stress inducing," I grumbled and fidgeted under his stare, "now I get to add humiliating."

"The only thing that is humiliating is how horrible you look standing next to Stellan." Luc countered and I felt my mouth drop open with shock. "Someone had to say it."

"Maybe not like that!" I crossed my arms over my chest as the girls returned and pushed another dress into my hands. This one was a sleeveless, backless, calf length, plunge neckline black dress. I immediately shook my head at the store clerk. She smiled and pushed it into my hands again.

"We need a baseline Avery, just try it on." Luc called out to me and I closed the curtain with an angry yank. I put the weird coat dress back on a hanger and slipped on the new dress, my white bra hanging out everywhere.

"This dress is ridiculous." I grumbled loud enough for them to hear and swung the curtain back to their critical eyes. They all paused and then the girls decided something and took off.

"You know, I take it back. The two of you did look good together in formal wear." Luc said as he appraised me again. "But how often is that going to happen?"

"Hopefully never again." I replied as I pulled the silky silver fabric of the curtain around the back of myself to try and hide my bra.

"You're hilarious," Luc laughed and crossed his arms leaning against the wall. "There isn't even a small part of you that is worried about how you look?"

"Maybe," I shrugged. The girls returned with a cap sleeved, v-neck, knee length, empire waisted dress in a mustard yellow color. I quickly changed and looked in the mirror for a moment, examining at how the dress cut perfectly into what little curves I had to give me an hourglass figure. It made the pink in my hair stand out even more against the yellow and I smiled before opening the curtain.

" _Mucho más cerca! Pero más personalidad._ " Luc nodded and the girls agreed before taking off. I leaned against the changing room wall and rose an eyebrow at him,

"Is style really that important considering everything we have to do?"

Luc pulled his bottom lip into his mouth for a moment, formulating how he was going to word his response, and then released it,

"How you look doesn't only reflect on yourself, it reflects on Stellan as well. If you want anyone to take you seriously you can't be giving orders in his shirts and jackets. Your style should distinguish your personality but also complement his. A united front. So whenever the two of you are together your power and unity is conveyed without words."

The brunette's green eyes flashed with excitement as she placed the next dress in my hands. It seemed unassuming at first, boring even, with the three quarter sleeves and gold threading underlying all the intricate black lace. I shrugged and moved back into the room changing and into the new piece without facing the mirrors. The bottom hit above the knee but at a comfortable length, and despite hugging every curve the lace over the chest kept it pretty conservative. It felt comfortable and I pulled the curtain back and watched all three pairs of eyes widen before they started nodding. Luc stepped forward and pulled my hair tie out, letting my humidity induced curls fall over my shoulders. The other clerk came forward and wrapped a gold belt around my waist before stepping back and Luc pointed toward the three way mirror.

" _Stellan, viens ici._ " Luc called out and I moved toward the three way mirror as the brunette placed a pair of nude peep toe heels in front of me. I slipped them on and looked up to see Stellan openly staring at me in the reflection of the mirrors. Luc leaned toward him and smirked, "you're welcome."

I stood up straight to try and get a better look at the whole outfit but all I could see was Stellan in the mirrors, and then how the two of us looked together, and my stomach did a couple of nervous flips. He blinked a couple times and then broke into that smile that made all my nerve endings come alive, my body burning with happiness and desire.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Luc usher the two girls out of the space commenting in Castilian before giving the two of us a final glance. I played with the belt a little, starting to feel self conscious under his unwavering stare.

"What do you think?"

"All I want to do is take it off of you," he lowly commented and closed the space between us. "So that's a good start."

He gently brushed my hair aside and leaned down toward my neck leaving a trail of feather light kisses toward the collar of my dress, as his hand slipped around my waist and pulled me flush against him. I felt everything heat up and looked into the mirrors at the almost unrecognizable girl being adored in front of me. I watched her reach up and grab the loose hanging tie at her shoulder, wrap it around her hand and pull it down to keep the kisses at her neck. I watched her drop her shoulder and tilt her head to give him more access. To which he wasted no time making each kiss quicker and harder. His hands started to travel south, fast, his fingers reaching the hem of the dress and I stepped out of his touch, still holding the tie.

I made a little turn and tugged it again with a smirk and his eyes darkened as he subconsciously licked his lips. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Luc come in and then immediately turn back around and I dropped the tie - the magic of our moment ebbing away. All the sounds from the department store, the Castilian pop music, the chatter of the two girls assisting me, flooded back in and I took another step away feeling the mirrors against my back.

"They have more for me to try on." I whispered and Stellan, still dazed, straightened, nodded, and moved back out to the couch. There was a pause and then Luc entered first, giving me the once over before holding out another dress.

"Something a little more formal."

The two girls entered, clearing out a majority of the clothes they had initially selected and replacing it was every different type of clothing you could imagine.

"Do I have to try all of this on?" I glanced at the staggering number of items and felt even more of my desire ebb out.

"You had other plans at the moment?" Luc questioned and I rose an eyebrow at him. He let out a little laugh and glanced over at the white leather couch before putting the dress onto a hook on the outside of a changing room door. "I could pick out your entire wardrobe…"

"I feel like I could trust you," I paused contemplating, "as long as it will release me from this torture."

"I live to serve my Queen." He gave me a little bow and I crossed my arms over my chest and scrunched my face into an annoyed look, but I couldn't keep it for long. All of this was so ridiculous, and the longer we stayed the more anxious I was getting.

"That does not give me confidence."

"If I could convince Stellan to stop wearing purple - I can convince you to stop looking like some hobo." Luc finished by pointing at my pile of clothes on the floor. "You can change back now."

I moved toward the pile and picked up all my clothes before leaning toward him to lowly question, "purple?"

"Don't even get me started," he shook his head and moved out toward the girls still pulling items across the store.

I stepped back into the changing room, making sure to be careful hanging the dress back up and put my comfortable, though obviously despised, clothes back on. Right as I was slipping into my flats I heard Anya's voice echoing toward us. I moved out to the doorway just in time to see her give a little spin for Stellan, the patterned white tulle swishing and floating around her as it settled. He gave her a round of applause and she beamed at him before noticing me. Her fingers immediately went around the locket, as if checking it was still there, before she turned to see the rest of her group making their way back. Elodie and Colette were weighed down with bags on each arm, Jack kept glancing around the place as they came to a stop in front of the couch.

"Are you lot finished as well?" Jack glanced over at me, still standing in the doorway of the changing room before looking down at Stellan. Luc picked out a few more items from a nearby table before calling out to him,

"Someone call the cars back. Just five more minutes here."

Elodie pulled out her phone and took a few steps away from us, making the call right as Anya started to wander toward the gleaming display of jewelry. Colette set the bags down next to Stellan and followed after her. Elodie set her bags down as well and then glanced at her phone again before turning it toward the rest of us,

"Another text."

"From who?" Stellan asked and sat up straighter on the couch.

"The contact here in Spain. He knows what happened in Russia and he wants to meet with us." Elodie answered and turned to Jack, already shaking her head.

"We should meet him." Jack supplied in the same moment that Stellan said,

"He's obviously Saxon then."

The two narrowed their eyes at each other and I moved out from the doorway to stand at the back of the couch.

"Elodie?" I asked, ignoring them.

"He's obviously Saxon. But he knows we'd know that. He's listed as easily bought, so the real question shouldn't be if we meet with him or not, it should be what the price is." She clenched the phone in her hand and looked at me with exhausted eyes, "any price is too high."

"That's not true." Jack immediately cut in. Her eyes snapped to him instead with a look that would make lesser men flinch. Jack steeled himself and turned his attention to Stellan. "At the very least we could extract some information out of him before Terminating him."

"I'm sorry," I grabbed onto the back of the couch, startled, "did you just say Terminate him?"

Everyone took a breath, ready to fight, when Anya ran over holding a handful of necklaces. We all looked away from each other and Stellan ran a hand across his forehead for a moment before forcing a smile at her.

"I couldn't help myself," Colette laughed gesturing at the necklaces. She looked at the four of us and the smile dropped off her face, but she quickly recovered. "I hope you don't mind."

"It's fine." Stellan replied and stood. "The cars should be here now."

I looked out into the store and saw Luc at the counter taken up entirely by my mountain of clothes. He looked over at me, I pointed toward the doors and he nodded. He quickly covered the space, Elodie and Colette picked up Anya's bags again and I fell back to ask Luc,

"So where are my clothes?"

"I'm having them sent to the hotel laundry. I'll tell the driver to do the same with Anya's." He held the door for me and a wall of humidity blasted us. We jogged across the street to catch up with everyone and piled back into our respective cars. If the car ride here had been quiet, the car ride to the museum was deafeningly silent. Even Anya sensed the mood shift and silently played with the tulle edge of her dress. When we finally pulled in front of the museum everyone jumped out at once putting space between ourselves before moving to the entrance.

My eyebrows scrunched a bit as I took in the _Museo de Bellas Artes de Valencia_ , and that was because it looked like a French chateau. Nothing about it seemed Spanish to me. Even the giant light dome at the apex of the building was in a shade of blue I'd seen mirrored through the streets of Paris. I looked over at the rest of the group to see if anyone else had noticed this, but they were all in single file line entering the museum. I turned around, gazing across the lines of traffic to the people stopping to take pictures of the park below us, biking across the well worn paths, chatting with each other as they waited for the bus, generally enjoying this beautiful day. I was envious of them. It might look like we were all here to enjoy the art, but this day was getting progressively darker. The conversation in Zara swirled in my mind again and I frowned.

"Avery!" Stellan called out to me and I tore my eyes away from the park and made my way into the imposing French but not French museum.

* * *

A/N: You three might be the only ones reading and reviewing - so thanks to my editing team for their continued support and help. :)

 **Chapter Soundtrack**

My Type - Saint Motel

Adventure of a Lifetime - Coldplay

Papaoutai - Stromae

Gypsy Kings - Como Tu (Flamenco Mix)


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

With only a few steps into the _Museo de Bellas Artes de Valencia_ I couldn't shake the foreboding. The entrance was at least three stories tall, the arches and entryways mirroring the height in gleaming white. It contrasted so starkly with the cobalt dome above us that I actually stopped and stared into the blinding hexagon skylight within the sloping blue panels until it hurt my eyes. It made the black and white pattern on the marble entry blur as I blinked trying to regain my sight. It was almost six o'clock when we arrived and I was surprised at the crowd still milling about. Most museums in the states locked the doors at 5PM. No one seemed to be in much of a rush to leave, which would either work for or against us. I just hoped no one was dying to see this Napoleon exhibit. We were going to need as much privacy as possible to try and find clues within it.

I glanced around for a minute before I spotted Stellan's head and shoulders rising above the rest of the crowd. This far back from my group of friends I could appreciate what a sight they were to take in. Everyone else in the museum was dressed like me, casual and comfortable. To see all of them move together as a unit was a bit intimidating, their dress and posture giving off the air of importance well before anyone even recognized Colette. The crowds of tourists parted to make way then quickly turned to start whispering to their friends as soon as they passed. All of my friends seemed completely at ease with how this was playing out for them, unaware of how difficult it would have been for the rest of us to make it through this crowd. I stopped at that thought and looked around myself again. Which group did I belong to now? Was there any part of me that could still function in the real world, the blissfully unaware world where the Circle was just a conspiracy theory? Was there always going to be a part of me that would never fully integrate into a life within the Circle? Would I always feel caught between the two - unable to fully commit? Wasn't that why I was so special in the first place? If I hadn't been so adamant that the union had nothing to do with marriage we might have never figured out the clues.

My group walked through the entryway to the left and disappeared around a corner. I picked up some English with a heavy British accent and slowed down,

"Wasn't that Colette LeGrand?"

"I believe it was. Who was everyone else?"

"Entourage I suppose. But I didn't see that American girl."

I froze and then lowered my eyes to the ground and started moving as quickly as possible without attracting attention toward the entryway. I was only three steps away from it when Stellan appeared and closed the gap by grabbing my arm and pulling me along with him.

"Do you think anyone is going to recognize me?" I peered up at him and his look of annoyance quickly dropped into confusion.

"Of course they will." He dropped my arm and pulled at his suit sleeve, straightening it, before slowing his pace so I didn't have to rush. "So you should stay with the group so they don't corner you."

"Is that why celebrities have such big entourages?" I crossed my arms and went to grab my locket, my palm going flat against my chest when I remembered I'd given it to Anya.

"And bodyguards." Stellan answered and we paused at the entrance to the temporary exhibits wing. Up ahead I could see Anya's pink sparkly sneakers reflecting off the highly waxed floors as they walked past the art. Elodie would point to a painting and say a line or two, directed at Anya, and then they'd move on.

"When you were seven did you think you were going to be a professional bodyguard?" I asked Stellan as we continued to stand there staring at the rest of our group. He let out a long sigh and started slowly walking and I followed as closely as possible.

"When I was seven I thought I was going to be a professional football player."

"Are you any good at soccer?" I asked and he glowered at me with a look of disgust,

"Soccer?"

I rolled my eyes at him, "my sincere apologies. Football."

"No," he laughed a little. "I was horrible. What about you?"

"I wanted to be a chef." I stopped and examined one of the paintings for a moment feeling like I should recognize it. Stellan came to stand right next to me, so close that the tops of our hands brushed against each other, and I slipped my hand into his own, our fingers instantly interlocking.

"If your cutting board skills are any indication," he started and I smirked.

"Jack didn't have any complaints."

"Jack's a liar." He quickly countered with a small laugh and then we both processed what he said and the smiles dropped off. I released his hand and crossed my arms over my chest, moving away from the painting. I weaved around a couple of groups admiring the art, Stellan shadowing me, as we closed in on our group. I detailed the remaining portion of the hall and realized the diaries weren't in here. Up ahead Elodie was launching into some long explanation of a mural sized painting hit with three spotlights. She gestured to a few points on the art, a crowd started to form and I took a step back and looked over my shoulder at Stellan.

"There has to be another wing, right? The diaries aren't here."

"Let's move on to the next section." He answered and pulled out his phone quickly sending off a text. I saw Jack pull out his phone and text back before scanning the growing crowd listening to Elodie. He locked eyes with the two of us and nodded, we turned in unison and moved back toward the entrance. The buried anger bubbled a bit in my stomach and I took a step closer to Stellan and lowly asked,

"Has he always been a liar, or is it just with me?"

We hit the entrance and made a right to go further down the hallway toward another wing. A group of Japanese tourists passed by, bags from the museum store swinging from their arms. We entered the next exhibit and I let out a little sigh of relief - the diaries were there. I scanned the room, only four people were with us. We moved toward the first case, making a slow circle of examination before Stellan lowly replied,

"Jack is very good at protecting those that he cares about. Sometimes that requires lying." He stopped and we looked up at each other from across the glass case. I narrowed my eyes at him and he continued, "I'm not saying what he did to you was right. But I will say that he kept my secret the entire time - even though it would have been very easy to give me up. I have no doubt that he had to lie about that to the Saxons."

I hadn't thought about it that way. I could almost hear Cole's awful sneering voice asking Jack 'what the deal was with that Dauphin Keeper'. Stellan leveled a measured look at me from across the glass and rose an eyebrow. I nodded and then moved on to the next case,

"Is that why you asked him to take over security for Anya before we left?"

"Yes it was, little spy." He smiled at me as we slowly circled the next case. "He did a perfect job keeping you alive and completely in the dark. Seemed like a logical choice."

"Can't argue with that." I commented and took a step back from the second case. Nothing. Worry started to gnaw in the pit of my stomach.

"Plus," Stellan continued without looking at me, crouching down to examine under the stand. "Jack watching her takes at least some anxiety off the table for me so I can concentrate more."

"What are you anxious about?" I asked as we moved onto the third case. He stopped, giving me an incredulous look.

"I might be turned into a literal lightning rod, _kuklachka_."

"You know that's not going to happen." I grumbled and started examining the case. "If we took every line of that mandate seriously we'd already be married."

"You said yes - so not that far off." He quickly countered and our eyes met over the glass covered gilted diary, slow smiles forming on our faces.

"Anything?" Elodie's voice echoed loudly in the quiet space and we turned to see the rest of our group entering the exhibit. I took a quick look around and noticed the other four people had cleared out, we were alone - at least for the moment.

"No," I exhaled and everyone but Anya froze. She started wandering further into the exhibit as we all exchanged worried looks. Anya came to stand next to me and peered at the rest of the group,

"What are we looking for?"

"Um," I started and went to palm my locket again when I remembered and glanced down at her. "That."

I pointed to my locket and she instinctively grabbed it, holding still for a moment before moving to take it off.

"Do you want it back?" She asked.

"No, keep it on." I gave her a half smile, trying to ease her worried eyes. "But go ahead and look at the design on it."

"Circles?" She questioned and I nodded, seeing everyone spread out from my peripheral vision.

"Yes," I leaned down a little to look at it again myself, "twelve circles. If you see that anywhere in here just call out to us and let us know."

"Like a treasure hunt?" She gave a little bobble of excitement. I nodded and quickly peered out at the rest of the group again.

"Exactly like a treasure hunt. Now get going." I gave her upper back a few pats and she took off, closely examining the first glass encased diary. Stellan's eyes met mine from across the room and I pressed my lips together trying not to panic. She wasn't going to find anything because there wasn't anything here. We had found all the other clues for the bracelets pretty quickly once we'd narrowed down the location - that was not happening here. So either our intel was wrong or the Saxons had beat us to it. Elodie made her way over to me, her face drawn and lowly asked,

"You checked everything?"

"No, not yet. Only the first three." I glanced at the remaining six display cases lit up with bright overhead lights that reflected off the protective glass. "Did you see anything?"

" _Non_ ," she answered, her eyes darting around cautiously before continuing, "nothing appeared tampered with either. I guess we can count that as a win."

"Unless they figured out where we should have actually been." I lowly grumbled and she clenched her jaw and shook her head.

"Is this it?" Anya called out from the back corner of the room and everyone jumped and then rushed toward her. She took a few skittering steps backward from our onslaught before pointing to a design on one of the open pages of a diary with a shaky finger. Jack leaned as close as possible without touching the glass. His shoulders slumped and he turned to the rest of us,

"No."

Everyone deflated and Anya bit her lip looking very discouraged. I brushed past Jack and smiled as brightly at the girl as I could,

"No worries. Let's keep looking. Colette can you help Anya?"

"Of course. Let's look at this one." Colette gestured toward one on the far side of the room. She gave the group of us a suspicious look over her shoulder but let herself be led away.

"Nothing is here," Elodie started once Anya was out of earshot. "We need to leave."

"We need to tour the rest of the museum." Jack countered and then stared at the entrance to our wing. We were still alone for the moment.

"You have a deep desire to see some Goya's?" Elodie lowly snapped at him.

"There might be a clue planted somewhere else, it's worth a look." Jack coldly countered.

"A clue that no one else has seen for centuries?" Elodie straightened her spine and Luc took a step away from the two of them.

"We found one in Italy, didn't we?" Jack crossed his arms, smugly, over his chest. I watched Stellan rub his forehead for a moment before he quickly barked at them,

"Enough."

Jack and Elodie glared at each other but shut their mouths. Stellan stifled a yawn and then ordered,

"Jack is right. We found a clue in Italy because we were looking for the 13th symbol - not something that had to do with the mandate. Let's split up and tour this museum quickly so we can get out of here and never come back."

"Split up?" Elodie turned startled eyes onto Stellan. He held up a finger and then yawned again before answering,

"Yes. It will be faster. You and Luc take the first half of the permanent section. Jack and Avery upstairs. The rest of us will tour the second half of the permanent section." Stellan scrutinized all of us for a moment as we stared at him - confused on the pairings.

"Are you sure?" I asked refusing to look at Jack though I could feel him tensing next to me.

"Well I'm not going to put those two together," he gestured to Elodie and Jack. "Go. We're wasting time." He ordered and brushed past us on his way over to Anya and Colette.

Luc and Elodie exchanged some mumbles in French and then made their way out of the exhibit without even a backward glance at us. I watched Stellan explaining the situation to Colette and Anya and desperately wished I was on a different team.

It wasn't just the obvious reasons that being paired with Jack was going to be incredibly awkward for us - it was the fact that we'd have to be a team again, in a museum. The majority of the intense situations I'd had with Jack had all happened in museums, it's what had bonded us together in the first place. It was because of a museum that I'd allowed myself to like the idea of an 'us' in the first place. Being forced to work together again on something this important was going to add a level of misery I wasn't in the mood to endure. Especially on my secret birthday.

I glared daggers at Stellan's back and then remembered him asking Jack to give me the gun lessons instead of him. So this was the second time he'd tasked Jack with something I could have very easily done with him instead. He was definitely putting us together on purpose. If the purpose was to anger me he'd succeeded. I'd love to see how he was going to try and _kuklachka_ his way out of this one. I watched them leave the room and turned to Jack. He looked just as brooding and moody as I felt. I took a breath and steeled myself. The faster we did this, the faster we could get out of here.

"Shall we?"

"Entrance to the second floor is by the patio. We have to go back toward the main hall," he replied and started moving away from me, cutting around the glass cases without a second look.

"How do you know that? Have you been here before?" I asked as I followed him. Without even looking back at me he called over his shoulder,

"I memorized the layout before we came."

"Of course you did." I grumbled to myself and rolled my eyes as we entered out into the main hallway toward the front. I caught the gleam of Stellan and Anya's hair as they turned into the lobby ahead of us.

"Shall we take the stairs?" Jack called back to me as we entered the hexagon entryway. His voice was sucked up into the dome with the few other groups still waiting, the crowd was waning now. Jack turned around waiting for an answer, I nodded and we moved toward the huge ornate staircase leading to the second floor.

You could fit an SUV across these stairs. They were sweeping and magnificent in Carrara marble that reminded me of sculptures. I ran my palm across the smooth surface as we quickly made our way up the flight. We turned to the left and entered into the first section. The light wood floors were newly waxed and matched the sky blue paint along the long walls. The space was a giant rectangle with small groupings of square sitting areas in the middle of the room. I thought I could pick out the word Renaissance on one of the plaques. No one was up here. It would seem the hot ticket items were all on the first floor.

"He could have put Jack with Luc and me with Elodie. That would have worked just as well." I grumbled to myself as I examined the paintings on the wall, but it was loud in the empty room.

"You and Elodie don't speak Castilian. So no. That wouldn't have worked." Jack drawled out as he examined the paintings on the opposite side of the room from me.

"Because I need to know how to speak Castilian to find a symbol I've been looking at since I was seven." I countered and reached the end of the room, then turned around and made my way back toward the front. "Nothing here by the way."

Jack walked up to meet me at the entrance and clenched his jaw for a moment before lowly saying, "You don't. But you aren't very good at protecting yourself and Elodie is still not in her right mind. So in order to protect both of you this pairing made more sense. Especially since Stellan knows I am hyper aware of where you are at all times. But that's still not the reason he did it."

He eyed the hallway, we were still alone, and moved on to the next section. I stood there, flabbergasted for a moment, and then jogged to catch up to Jack. We turned into the next room which was a bright orange color that contrasted so much it made all the artwork pop off the walls. Jack immediately started examining the first painting, his back to me, and I glanced at the first entry on my wall before I couldn't take it anymore,

"So enlighten me."

He turned around, a square sitting area between us on the marble floors, and gazed at the painting behind me instead of at me,

"If we can't work together then this whole 13th Family thing isn't going to work. We have to figure it out."

"Can't we just ignore each other and post cryptic passive aggressive updates on Instagram like the rest of the world?" I crossed my arms over my chest and stared directly at him. He gave me a withering look and checked his gun for good measure before we turned away from each other and moved on to the next paintings on our respective walls. There was a long moment of silence before he spoke again,

"From what I hear it took Stellan and Elodie almost three months before they could work with each other again. Luc almost had to have him transferred. We don't have three months."

"Why would they transfer Stellan - he's Luc's Keeper?" I moved on to the next piece. They were all incredibly dark, not just in content but in coloring, and of course, no 13th symbols.

"Elodie is...was Madame Dauphin's assistant, it's a higher rank." Jack answered. "He's escalating this so we can focus on what really matters."

We both hit the back of the room coming up empty handed, again, and made our way toward the front of the room. With only one room left to sweep this was not looking promising. The fact that we hadn't received a text from anyone else wasn't a good sign either. Above us the speakers crackled a moment before a voice started announcing something in Castilian. I assumed it was stating that the museum was closing, but Jack didn't bother to translate. We turned the corner toward the next room.

"Regardless," I called out to him as we started the final room, "forcing your Keeper and your fiancé to resolve their breakup issues while you hunt for the tomb isn't a brilliant use of escalation."

"Fiancé?" He spun around, his eyes darting to my still empty left ring finger. I took a step back from the intense look on his face and stumbled a bit so I wouldn't fall into a painting. When I righted myself I squared off against him and answered back,

"Why do you seem so surprised?"

"You wouldn't even entertain a joke about it for weeks and now all of the sudden you say yes?"

"Because I was with you!" I angrily jabbed my finger out toward him. He paled for a moment. "And marrying Stellan would have outed him to the entire Circle."

"But we leave for two days and now you're engaged?" He snapped back.

"So we can be validated as the ruling family of the Circle!" I shook my hands out toward him, frustrated. He knew all of this - why was he interrogating me?

"That's the only reason?" He narrowed his eyes at me as he said it and I felt everything on me tense. So there it was, he couldn't handle the idea of me actually liking Stellan. I took two furious steps toward him, only the square seat separating us, and seethed,

"That shouldn't matter to you anymore."

He shook his head and spun back around pacing a few steps away from me. I kept still my blood thrumming with anger. Jack took a big breath before spinning back around,

"It shouldn't. But it does."

"So look me in the eyes and tell me you actually believe we can work this out. Because this is just as hard for me, Jack."

He clenched his fists at his sides, his eyes hardening, "and what is so hard for you, Avery?"

The small coil of anger that had been lying in wait in my stomach stirred awake. "I've never had to do this part."

"Which part?" He snapped.

"This one," I gestured between the two of us. "The awful part where you still have to see the person every day after everything is over. I always moved before it got there."

"I don't have any advice to give." He coldly responded, letting out a measured breath.

"I didn't ask for advice." I hissed between my teeth. "I'm just trying to escalate things."

"Escalate," he let out a mean laugh. "You know, at least he never lied to me about it. You could see it on his face any time he looked at you."

"Don't you dare," I choking on my anger for a moment, "talk to ME about lying. That's not fair." I closed the space between us quickly, the anger propelling me around the sitting area until I was inches away from his angry stance.

"Nothing about this is fair." His voice was cold but his eyes betrayed him - the grey darkened with sadness.

"Don't." I ground out and he closed his eyes. "You made your choices. You need to live with them, not make me feel bad about them."

"I was doing what I thought was right." He opened his eyes and swallowed hard, "you have to know that."

"I do know that. I'm beginning to understand what you were trying to do. But you betrayed my trust, Jack. And it's not fair punishing me for choosing Stellan after everything you did." I emphasized and he looked up toward the vaulted ceiling.

"I know that." He snapped. "Christ, I know that."

"Then stop it." That final command caused his carefully checked anger to unravel before me. He grabbed my upper arms, pulling me toward him, the flush rising above his collar and tie toward his five o'clock shadow,

"You think I haven't tried? It consumes me every day. But I can't push this down, I can't make myself forget everything I lost."

"If you can't do it then everything we still have will be lost." I countered and pressed my hands into his chest, trying to create space between us.

"I wish every moment of every day that I could go back," he continued like he hadn't even heard me, but dropped my arms. "We should have just run when we had the chance."

"That's just stupid!" I shouted and his eyes cut to mine blazing with anger. "You were never going to run away with me. Stop trying to rewrite the past, just accept what is in front of you right now."

"That's the problem!" He shouted back. "If it were that easy," he abruptly cut off and reached toward his gun.

I heard a footstep behind me and then the pain exploded at the base of my skull.

* * *

A/N: Mad props going out to maidenpride on this one for forcing me to 'escalate' the fight scene. LOL As always much love to trubie and Laura as well. :)

 **Chapter Soundtrack**

Capsize - FRENSHIP feat. Emily Warren

All Time Low - Jon Bellion

I Know What You Did Last Summer - Shawn Mendez and Camila Cabello


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER NINE**

 _I was in my bedroom, back home, in Boston. I looked around for a moment picking up details: the lace curtains, the small mountain of stuffed animals in the corner, my desk covered in schoolwork and glitter pens. The room was quiet, only the light from the hallway breaking through the darkness and I squinted for a moment as I heard voices start to rise in the living room. It was just mumbling, but the hushed tones made me curious and I threw off the covers and moved toward the noise. Slowly I inched down the hall until I was at the corner and saw my mom standing, her back to me, talking to someone who was seated in the dimly lit living room. She ran her fingers through her hair and yanked for a moment before she quietly whispered,_

" _You are completely sure?"_

" _Yes." The man answered._

" _Because you know what this means, right? You know what we'll have to do now. We have to run." My mom questioned shifting back and forth on her feet._

" _I wouldn't have told you if I didn't know I was right. I found him. Which means it will only be a matter of time until the Circle knows. You have to run."_

 _I felt my eyes open with surprise as I recognized the voice, it was Mr. Emerson. I couldn't even comprehend what they were talking about, circles and running. I would have turned and gone back to my room, but my mom let out a sniffle and said in a miserable voice,_

" _She's only eight, it's too soon."_

" _Destroy the seed of evil, or it will grow up to your ruin," Mr. Emerson sadly whispered and everything started to spin._

The apartment whirled around me in a black blur, closing into suffocating darkness before a light started to pin prick through my vision and I heard another voice.

"Avery."

I fought against the darkness but something was holding my hands down. I struggled and a wave of nausea rolled up through me.

"Avery wake up."

Something struggled against my back and I attempted to fight it, despite my hands being tied down. I cracked open my eyes and looked around in complete panic and confusion. Where was I?

"Avery, stop struggling, I'm almost," a guy's voice broke through my confusion and I stilled, frozen with fear, before the nausea swelled within me again and this time I couldn't hold it back. Whatever lunch I had left came violently rumbling up my throat and everything swirled around me again as I attempted to move to the side and release it. I couldn't, I was trapped, my arms tangled to the person struggling against my back. My head was so heavy I could barely move it. With no way to move to the side I choked once, then twice, unable to clear the vomit.

"Shit," the voice cursed and then the pressure on my arms released and I fell limply to the side, my hands still tied off. I hit the ground with a small thud and a cough of vomit spread across the floor before I was able to suck in a large breath. There was some movement at my hands and then I was finally free. I struggled into a crawling position and felt another wave of nausea pulse through me as I dry heaved. Once it passed I wiped my face with the back of my hand and sat back onto my calves. The room swam into view, dark and shadowy.

"Are you okay?" The voice asked and I realized I should recognize it. I knew this voice. A large palm started rubbing between my shoulders and I shook my head a few times, trying to make sense of this. Where was I? Who was this guy? Why was I vomiting? Then the hand stopped and someone moved to crouch down in front of me and I froze with fear.

"Do you know who I am?" He carefully asked and held perfectly still. My whole head throbbed for a moment and then it came flooding back to me. Minnesota, the prom, Prada, Istanbul, Paris...Jack. It was Jack. Relief washed over me and I felt the tears well up as I flung myself at him,

"Jack!"

"It's okay, it's alright." He soothed as he rubbed my back and then crushed me to his chest. I sat there, sobbing into his shirt, most likely getting vomit all over him as well, before he gave me a few pats and then gently pulled back.

"Avery, we have to go. Can you walk?"

I rubbed at my face, trying to scrub off the tears and looked around us for a moment. Vomit, zip ties, splatters of blood all over the floor of some kind of storage room. I could see large squares and rectangles covered with giant white sheets lined up against walls in the windowless space. I attempted to stand and then immediately sat back down, everything swirling too much, my head pounding.

"I don't know."

"Alright," he whispered and let out a long breath surveying the room.

Everything was off kilter for me, I was seeing what I could only describe as stars bursting across my vision. No amount of blinking was making them disappear. I knew we were in Spain but I didn't know where. I knew something bad had obviously happened, but I didn't know what. My head throbbed with pain, every heartbeat making my eyeballs feel like they were going to pop out of my skull and I reached toward the tender part of the back of my head and touched something wet. I pulled my fingers away and looked at them in the dim light - blood. So all the blood on the ground was mine? I took in a shaky breath and Jack turned around, lifted me off the ground and started dragging me toward the door. The movement made everything spin again and I clutched onto the front of him as hard as I could.

"It's okay," he murmured and held me tighter. The fuzzy confusion swirled in my brain and I couldn't help the rush of questions that started shooting rapid fire from my mouth,

"Where are we? Where are we going? Who did this to us?"

He didn't answer me, he slammed his hand over my mouth and I froze as I heard it too, the footsteps. He drug us flush against the wall where the door would hide us temporarily once opened and silently slid in front of me. I held onto the wall, barely breathing, as the door slowly opened. A crack of light spilled across the floor illuminating the empty zip ties of where we should have been. A dark shadow moved into the light and Jack's body slammed against the door creating a terrible crunching sound as the wood made contact with the person on the other side. A body slumped to the ground and Jack threw open the door and jumped onto the body.

The room spun around me and I held onto the wall and tried to take a steadying breath. From the man's radio a few garbled sentences in a language I couldn't place echoed into the space. Jack hurled the radio at the ground, it shattered into a couple pieces, skidding off into a mass in the darkness. I took a closer look and saw a limp hand - bodies. We hadn't been the only people in this room.

"Jack," I whispered and pointed to the bodies his head followed to where I was pointing and he froze. He rose off the intruder, who was unconscious, and took a few hesitant steps toward the mass before he stopped,

"They're dead." He reached down and grabbed the gun off the barely breathing intruder and shoved it into the back of his pants before striding over to me and grabbing me around the waist. "Let's go."

We stumbled out into a hallway lit only by the exit signs pointing us in the direction of our escape. I was concentrating so hard on making my feet work I was barely paying attention to what direction we were moving in. We twisted through some hallways and then Jack hip checked a door open and we spilled into an employee lounge. Tables, chairs and trash cans shared the space with a small microwave and incredibly bright fluorescent lights. We paused, only for a moment, and the nausea swelled in me again.

"Wait." I ordered and tried to pull away from him. At first he fought it, pulling me closer but when he looked at my face he let go and I stumbled to a trashcan and dry heaved again. This time, once I was done, I straightened and felt the world settle a little better. Pieces of my memory started to fall back into place. We were in Valencia, Spain. We thought the next clue to the tomb would be in this city.

"Ready?" He asked and looked around the windowless room. I nodded and took a few faltering steps toward him. Jack hoisted me against his side and we started making our way across the break room to another door.

"Who are those guys?" I asked. Jack took a moment to jiggle the handle before wrenching it upward, the once locked door now sliding open. We moved out into the empty hallway of the museum. The walls were white with directional signs in Castilian. Jack scanned the signs and then turned us left and made a quick clip passing through another door that opened onto the first floor of the museum in the permanents section.

"Order." He quickly replied. "Though I'm not sure which one."

My feet tangled with Jack's and he slowed down to right me before pressing me tighter to his side so he could support most of my weight as we starting the quick pace again. I limped along, trying in vain to concentrate through the fog, as more pieces came floating back to my memory. We'd had lunch at a small restaurant. We had gone to some kind of department store, but that's when everything started to grey out. I could not remember touring the museum. I had a sinking feeling that a huge block of time was going to be forever lost to me from this concussion.

"I'm thinking it's actual Order, because if it was the Saxons they would have shot me on sight." Jack continued when I didn't say anything. We turned another corner and he paused, folding us back into the darkness. Some security guards were chatting in Castilian looking at something on their phones. We scanned the courtyard and saw another exit toward our left. The two middle aged guys both shouted at their phones gesturing angrily at them and Jack took his opening.

We shuffled across the courtyard toward the side entrance and Jack paused for a moment looking at the door with critical eyes. Behind us we heard something crackle on the radios for the two security guards. They both let out annoyed sounding protests, but answered the call and started moving toward the opposite side of the museum.

"It's armed." Jack whispered into my ear. I nodded and let out a small cough against my raw throat. "We can try the front, or just run for it. Do you think you can run?"

I shook my head. My head was throbbing just standing there, running did not seem like an option to me. There had to be another way out, right? It had been so much easier to break in and out of all the other museums I'd been to with Jack.

Jack pressed his lips together, thinking, scanning the area until two men appeared out of the shadows on the opposite side of the courtyard. We both froze as they walked into a pool of light to reveal it wasn't the security guards. They were tall, lean, bald, wearing nothing but black, with giant gold medallions hanging around their necks. It was some kind of symbol and I tried, desperately, to place it or even remember it.

Jack reached for his gun, sliding the safety off in a single move as he pointed it at the two approaching men. They pulled out their own guns and took a few more steps toward us and the room exploded with noise. Red, circling lights fired on above us, a shrill, ear piercing alarm echoed across the giant courtyard and I grabbed my ears as I felt my head shatter from the bombardment of it all. Hands wrapped around my waist and I was being drug through the door into the heavy evening air. Jack yanked us through, kicked the door closed, and then spun around for a second before spotting a trashcan. The metal squealed across the concrete as he slid it toward the door and then shoved it under the handle.

"It won't hold for long. Come on." He ordered and grabbed me around the waist as we weaved around the litany of garbage on the side of the museum. Each step made my head pulse with pain, bright white lights floating across my vision, but I didn't stop. I couldn't stop. The fear of them catching up to us was larger than the pain in this moment. We made it down a loading ramp when we heard the door fire open behind us, the alarm ringing out into the night.

We were trapped in some kind of maze of pallets and shipping containers and a desperate sob broke through as my head felt like it was cracking open from all the jolting. Jack squeezed me closer and strong armed me around an overflowing dumpster. A side alley came into view in front of us, but the gate was locked. I heard some shouting in the weird language again far behind us and closed my eyes for a moment, everything starting to become bright and blinding to me the closer we made it to the streetlights.

Jack leaned me against the side of a shipping container, pulled out the gun and shot the lock off the gate. The sound echoed in my brain so intensely that I grabbed my head and crouched to the ground trying not to cry. I felt his hands grab me under my arms and hoist me back up and then we were moving again. We made to the street corner, the lights burning into my skull and I let out a shuddering sob, pushing my fists into my eye sockets when Jack stopped. I opened my eyes to see his face change from worried to relieved to panicked all within the same moment. He shoved me, hard, and I landed into something solid.

"Go!" He yelled and swung the gun out from the back of his pants and edged back around the corner checking. I spun around to see a tall blond boy give me a startled glance before pulling a gun out from the back of his own pants.

I dug my feet into the ground, overwhelmed. Who was this guy? Obviously he knew us, I had to know him. It itched in the back of my mind as I instinctively took a step toward his outstretched hand. A shot fired off above us, splintering through the trunk of a tree to our left and I let out a scream and covered my head as I ducked to the ground. The two boys fired off a few rounds and my hearing buzzed out completely. I could only pick up the words he was shouting,

"Here...you...leave...now!"

"Me?" The blond boy yelled back, and then roughly grabbed my arm, yanking me to my feet as we started moving backward down the street.

"Yes you! Why do you think we're both alive?" Jack yelled back, exasperated, and I glanced between the two of them as we stopped at the curb, Jack waved down the waiting black sedan. They both shoved their guns back into place sharing a worried glance. I tried to wrench my arm away from the blond guy but he just held me tighter and then Jack gathered up my other side and the two of them pushed me into the car first, both climbing in after as it squealed off from the sidewalk out onto the open road.

The blond boy started giving directions and then looked behind us through the back window before looking down at me. The quiet of the car made the buzzing a little louder in my ears, but easier to hear what they were saying.

"What happened?" He gestured toward me with a nod of his head and then reached out a finger to touch my collarbone, sliding it up toward the back of my ear. I swallowed hard at the gesture, unsure why I trusted him to do that, and he pulled his finger away to show it shiny with blood.

"Concussion." Jack distractedly answered as he spun around in his seat to look out the back window as well. The car slammed around a corner, screeching with the force, and the blond boy reached his hand across my lap, pressing his fingers into the window glass so he didn't fall into me. My stomach lurched with the motion and I bit back the gag. When the car righted itself his hand slid across my legs and his fingers wrapped around one of my thighs. I stiffened, the gesture startling me, but then his index finger pressed into a bruise there and the memories surged through my brain in technicolor. The Louvre, Notre Dame, Greece, the vampire bar, Cannes...Stellan.

"Stellan," it came out as a strangled cry and I twisted in my seat to bury my head into the side of his chest.

"Avery?" He questioned and ran a hesitant hand down my back, trying to soothe me.

"It's a pretty bad concussion." Jack elaborated and barked out an order in Castilian to the driver. The car swerved and I pressed myself harder into Stellan letting the waves of protective calm wash over me, soothing all the jittering panic that was making my brain throb so badly.

"What about you?" Stellan shifted slightly to look at Jack and I curled in closer to him trying to block out all the streaking lights that blurred past us as we speed along. "Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine." Jack quickly answered and I felt Stellan's heartbeat pick up from the side of his chest against my already throbbing temple.

"Good." He stopped and then took a deep breath. "What the fuck happened?! I gave you one job. Protect Avery."

I flinched against his yelling and put a hand up to cover my other ear.

"Stellan," Jack started sounding a little shook up and I squeezed my eyes shut. If I could just rest for a minute maybe I wouldn't feel so...

"Avery. Avery!" Someone was calling my name from what sounded like a long tunnel and I floated toward it blinking my eyes open. Jack and Stellan were both staring at me, panicked worry across their faces. I looked around and realized I was being held up against the window of the sedan, the car had stopped. I looked to my left to see even the driver eyeing me warily.

"Where are we?" I tentatively asked and both of their faces dropped.

"How are we going to find a doctor this time of night?" Jack shook his head as he said it. Stellan released me from the door a little and frowned,

"We don't need a doctor she needs an MRI. We can't get on a plane with her! What if there's a…"

"I don't need a doctor." I quickly cut over them. "I just meant the car stopped so where are we now?"

"You need a doctor." They both said at the same time. Jack slid out first and started looking around and then Stellen pulled me with him out of the cab. The moment the door shut the car speed off down the street and around the corner. I looked up to see that we were standing in front of an opulent hotel with some kind of Spanish name. It seemed like I should remember why we were here but it blurred out in my battered short term memory.

"We just need a doctor," Jack continued as we moved toward the lobby in a solid line, Jack close to my right and Stellan on my left his tight wrap around my waist holding most of my weight off my wobbly legs. "We won't even be in the air for more than an hour. We wouldn't hit an altitude for it to affect her."

"You think we're still going to Ibiza?" Stellan leaned across me for a moment to look incredulously at Jack. We pressed through the busy lobby toward a bay of elevators. A few hotel guests gave us a startled second glance, but the boys continued arguing like no one was there.

"Of course we're still going to Ibiza tonight. Especially since we came up empty handed today." Jack countered and looked at Stellan. They had some kind of staring contest with each other and I leaned heavily into Stellan feeling a wave of nausea and exhaustion pulse through me again.

"She can't even stand up on her own." Stellan angrily grumbled and pulled me into the elevator, to then reach forward and swipe a fob before jabbing at the topmost button on the panel. "What happened to the two of you?"

The elevator doors pinged open and we stepped out into the entryway of a house. It was disorienting and I dug my feet in for a moment trying to get my bearings before swinging my hands out to grab onto the railings. I ended up smacking Jack and Stellan's stomach's instead and they glanced at each other for a moment before Stellan scooped me up and carried me into the living room of the place like a baby.

" _Te voilà! Qu'est-il arrivé? Oh non!_ " Said a blonde girl as she rounded the corner toward us. Her critical eyes took me in for a moment before she stared at Stellan and Jack expectantly.

"We were ambushed by the Order." Jack supplied and her face dropped. "Actual Order, not Saxon Order." He clarified and Stellan moved past the two of them toward the couches in the living room. He set me down on the love seat and then crouched down in front of me.

"Are you going to be sick?" He lowly asked and I shook my head. I was still nauseous but there was nothing left to throw up at this point. My ears were buzzing from all the gunfire, but it was slowly turning more into a muffled sound rather than actual deafness. More than anything I was in pain, everything was throbbing and my eyeballs felt like they were going to burst with every heartbeat.

I closed my eyes as more muted voices added to the mix back at the entryway. Stellan sat next to me on the couch and I felt his fingers start pushing my hair to the side as he followed the trail of blood toward the back of my head. His fingers poked around the tender area and he let out a small noise of dissatisfaction.

"Looks like it stopped bleeding, but it's hard to tell with all your hair." He carefully replaced the hair and then gently grabbed my chin and turned my face to him. "Open your eyes."

I complied and he frowned. I knew I was in bad shape, but if _he_ thought I was in bad shape it had to be worse than I thought. Yet, with every passing moment I was starting to feel more like myself despite the huge black hole in my memory.

The people rounded the corner, their arguing sputtered to a stop when they took the two of us in. Jack eyed me again and then seemed to decide something and announced to the group,

"We have to go. With or without Avery."

"Absolutely not." The blonde girl snapped back and shot Jack an exasperated stare. It clicked into place - Elodie. The redheaded woman and brunette boy next to her both shook their heads - seeming to agree with her.

"Clearly she is not well. You said she didn't even recognize you or Stellan." The brunette gestured toward me. Another puzzle piece regained - Luc.

"Besides," the redhead started, "we had all agreed it was a trap not even a couple of hours ago." She looked toward the back rooms for a moment before turning to the group and it snapped into place - Colette.

"That was before we came up empty handed from the only guess we had." Jack countered and then held up a hand as everyone tried to counter him. "Plus we now have the Order coming after us, we need to keep moving."

"To, literally, anywhere else." Stellan entered the conversation next to me. "Not to a tiny island full of inebriated people."

"That's exactly where we should go." Jack argued and everyone looked away - annoyed.

"So say we go," Stellan started and I saw Elodie and Luc frown, "what could we possible gain from it that would make it worth the risk?"

"An actual clue. A lead to the tomb. Another Keeper we could turn for ourselves." Jack started to list off. Elodie immediately cut over him,

"An ambush. A kidnapping. A stabbing of Stellan and Avery that would activate their blood plague!"

"We could get more information out of him about the Saxons. We could put a tracker on him and finally get ahead of the Saxons for once." Jack quickly countered, and turned to face Elodie. She squared off against him as well and I felt Stellan tense next to me.

"We could all get taken out by Saxon security while we were too distracted trying to find this contact. We could get separated inside one of those giant clubs and they could kidnap Stellan and Avery and then come back here and kidnap Anya as well."

"Not so loud," Colette broke in and glanced back toward the rooms, but Jack and Elodie were locked into each other neither wanting to back down. Colette put a hand on Elodie's shoulder and she broke her staring contest with Jack for a moment. "Let's move into the dining room."

Elodie nodded at Colette and then she and Jack stormed off toward the dining room in front of us all. Colette and Luc exchanged a worried look with each other and then us before following them. Stellan helped me up from the couch, the room spinning for a moment, but I finally felt more stable. I gave his hand a squeeze to signal I didn't need him to carry me anymore but he just pulled me closer and whispered into my ear,

"It's going to get ugly."

"Uglier than this?" I grumbled and we hung back for a moment as he lowly answered,

"There are only two outcomes when Elodie and Jack get like this, and one of them involves a bedroom."

"Does the other one involve a slap? Because that I'd like to see." I countered and Stellan smiled at me before guiding me into the dining room. He deposited me in an empty chair across from Elodie and Jack who were still standing and locked into a glaring contest. Luc settled to my left, Colette at the head of the table on the right as Stellan moved around the table to stand next to Elodie. Part of me wondered if it was to protect Jack. When no one said anything for a moment I set my hands onto the table top and started,

"Are we going to Ibiza tonight?"

"I'm not leaving Anya in Valencia while we all go to Ibiza." Elodie quickly argued, turning away from Jack's glare. "Jack and Stellan would both have to come with us and that would leave her defenseless."

"Who said she had to stay in Valencia?" I countered. "She can just stay on the plane. This isn't going to take us that long."

"Might I suggest," Luc cut in and we all turned to him. "I have a villa in Ibiza. It's secure, and it's not exactly...on the books. Meaning the Saxons couldn't anticipate that being a rendezvous point."

Elodie looked like she could have strangled him. Out of my peripherals I saw Colette start to nod,

"That is actually pretty helpful. We can keep our room here, fly together and split again. You can canvas the club and we can take off the next morning. The more we deviate from the plan the better our chances are of not being followed."

Elodie crossed her arms and a triumphant smile started to form on Jack's face as he turned back to face her,

"Besides - we need to have a doctor check out Avery. She has a pretty bad concussion. We can ensure more discretion at Luc's villa versus a very public hotel."

"Don't drag me into this. My concussion shouldn't be part of the planning." I quickly replied and shot an annoyed look at Jack. Elodie narrowed her eyes at me and I couldn't help but feel a little scared. What did I say to deserve her wrath?

"Actually, you having a concussion is a huge hindrance to his plan." She leaned onto the table and looked me up and down for a moment before continuing. "A concussion that bad impairs your judgement. It makes you cloudy and irritable, rash. If we are about to outwit the Saxons we can't afford to have you messing up the plan with some irrational response."

"That's not going to happen. All I have to do is be there. The Saxon spy just has to see me - the rest of you can do whatever it is we decide to do with him." I countered.

"But you have a history of making bad choices, even without a concussion." Elodie slowly rose straightening her spine, but our eyes never left each other.

"And you have a history of purposely pissing me off to try and distract away from the actual plan." I snapped. Everyone else went still but Elodie spread her fingertips across the table, letting them tap out a little rhythm before countering,

"This isn't going to be some little exchange in a cafe. These clubs are huge, the crowds are bigger, it's too loud to hear anything, and all the lights and smoke are disorienting. It's going to be too much for your little battered brain to handle and it will mess up the whole thing."

"Elodie," Stellan warned, but the two of us refused to back down. It had to be done. This tension had always existed between us. From the moment she'd met me she'd treated me with mildly disguised disdain, even after everything we'd been through together. It hung between us, damaging any moment of progress. If she couldn't respect me then I couldn't trust her, and the only thing that was holding all of us together was trust.

"I can't tell what's more insulting, that you think so little of me, or that you think pissing me off is going to let you get your way. You're going to have to try harder - I'm not as much of a pushover as those two." I flicked my eyes at Stellan and Jack. They both looked affronted but Elodie cracked a dangerous smile.

"You say that," she pulled her hands off the table and started walking her fingers up the arms of Stellan and Jack who stiffened. She never broke eye contact as she walked them across their shoulders and then leaned toward Stellan, running her fingers through his hair before continuing, "but I think…" she trailed off and leaned into him to put her mouth next to his ear.

"Don't." I warned her. She dared me to stop her with the glare she sent my way and finished in French,

" _Elle ment_." She planted a loud kiss on his cheek and winked at me.

It didn't matter what she said the fuzzy, irrational, anger boiled and I seethed through my teeth,

"Don't touch him."

"Said the concussed girl too angry to go with us. I'm not even a threat to you!" She snapped back, releasing Stellan.

Stellan immediately moved away from her while Jack took a step toward her, both anticipating an explosion and I laughed darkly for a moment before rising from the table and glared at her,

"How about this then? I'm the girl with the violet eyes, the leader of the Circle, and I've decided we're going to Ibiza. Pack your shit or clear out. Here's your chance. Where do your loyalties lie Elodie?"

Everyone balked, including Elodie, and then her face flushed with anger.

"How could you ask that of me after everything I've done?"

"Then start helping me. This is only going to work if we can all be a team." I looked around the table. "We have enough fucking enemies."

"I've always been on your team. You have just never accepted my help." She spat and crossed her arms over her chest.

"You didn't do it for me," I quickly replied. "You did it for Stellan. Either you can respect me or you can't. So what will it be?"

"Of course I'm staying!" She snapped and I nodded curtly before pressing my fists into my eyeballs again and barked out,

"What's the fucking plan Jack?"

He nervously cleared his throat and I dropped my hands to glare at him, he flushed before quickly starting,

"We use Stellan and Avery as the bait. Colette takes Anya to Luc's villa. We all head to the club, canvas, cover, extract and move to a secure location to integrate."

"What if he brought a whole Saxon security detail with him?" Luc questioned.

"He won't." Jack answered but his voice was starting to ebb and muffle in my thoughts. "He wasn't listed as Saxon on the phone. So he's trying to gather information to garner favor. Besides the Saxons would never send an entire detail to something like this. That's not even the pattern of how Lydia ran the Order."

Luc posed another question but everything was muted and distorted in my ears. I shook my head a few times, trying to clear all the confusion but it wasn't working. I closed my eyes and one word floated through the haze - Order. Those men at the museum hadn't looked anything like Saxon Order, so they must have been the real Order. The medallion on their chests flashed across my closed eyes but I still couldn't place it and then a single word broke through the darkness.

"Wait," I cut over their conversation, "the walkie-talkies."

"What?" Jack paused mid-sentence and gave me a quizzical look.

"They said something on the walkie-talkies. It was a question but I didn't know the language. I think he said _asfalís_."

"Secure." Stellan quickly said and everyone turned to look at him. "It's Greek."

Despite the fuzziness I could feel my brain pulling all sorts of pieces together.

"Who taught you Greek?" I stared at him as everyone went silent.

"My parents." He quietly replied.

"Why that language?" I held my breath anticipating his answer.

"Said it'd be useful." He shrugged a single shoulder.

Jack's eyes met mine across the table and we both started nodding as he said in a rising voice,

"Oh god - I see it now, they were Order." He turned to Stellan. "Your parents weren't just part of the 13th Family - they were actual Order. Just like Avery's Mum wasn't just Circle - she was actual Order."

"That man you clobbered wasn't coming in to hurt us. He was coming in to help us." I added and Jack put his hands to his face, rubbing his five o'clock shadow for a moment.

"That's who those bodies were. They were Saxon. The Order killed them before they could kill us."

"Bodies?" Colette broke through.

"Killed?" Luc was next.

Jack and I ignored them, the frantic buzzing energy between us heightened by my concussion.

"That's why they didn't come after us as we were leaving the museum." I added.

"That's why Anya wasn't taken as well. That's why we've been safe this whole time. It had nothing to do with secure locations or scrambling our plans - it was the Order." Jack finished and then pulled out the chair in front of him and sat down, hard.

I sat down as well, staring at the table as it started to wash over me. My Mom was Circle. My Mom was Order. All this time I'd thought she didn't want me to know about the Circle because they would force me to fulfill some kind of warped destiny. But if she had been Order all this time it meant she'd been hiding me from the Circle because she'd known I was actually a weapon - and I was supposed to be used to destroy everything.

"So how do we use this to our advantage?" Elodie broke the silence, her voice still tight with annoyance. I looked up at her, Jack and I still the only people sitting,

"We go to Ibiza. We make a big show of leaving this hotel too. We need to lure out any other Saxon spies or security."

"But how will we know which ones are Order and which ones are Saxon?" Stellan questioned.

"Other than the giant gold medallions?" I countered and Jack crossed his arms over his chest and furrowed his brows,

"The Saxons will chase you."

* * *

A/N - Mr. Emerson's quote at the very beginning is from Aesop. All the love to Trubie on this one. She didn't know it at the time but I was asking her a lot of hypothetical questions about Elodie that COMPLETELY changed the course of the fight between Avery and Elodie. Canon Rock Star! Maidenpride and Laura were also amazing because they continue to support and help - even though no one is reading this...LOL.

 **Chapter Soundtrack**

Sucker for Pain - Imagine Dragons,Lil Wayne & Wiz Khalifa

Out of the Woods - Taylor Swift

Pray to God -Calvin Harris ft. HAIM

Wherever I Go - OneRepublic


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER TEN**

"The plane is refueling. I'm having the house cleaned and stocked. We leave in an hour." Luc pocketed his phone and moved away from the table. "Lets all change and get ready to leave."

I nodded and then closed my eyes for a moment. The room spun, the stars continued to burst across my blinded vision, my head throbbed and through the muffled buzzing in my ears I heard someone mumble something. I cracked open my eyes to see Stellan moving around the table toward me.

"Avery?"

"I'm fine." I answered and then clenched my teeth as I felt my stomach turn on me again. He sat down in the chair next to me and then waved everyone off. I could hear their muffled comments as they left us alone and clenched my fists at my side.

"You're not fine." He said lowly but loud enough for me to hear and brushed his hand across my cheek before tilting my face up toward him again, shaking his head as he examined my eyes. Being babied by him made the anger in my chest flare and I turned my face out of his touch as I snapped,

"Of course I'm not fine. My eyes feel like they are going to explode out of my skull. I'm covered in blood - again. I have this buzzing in my ears," I pressed my palms over them for a second, "I can't remember anything after the restaurant."

"The restaurant?" He asked, surprised.

"I know we went to some department store - but I couldn't tell you what happened in there." I looked up at him and then clenched my eyes shut, the lights from the overhead fixture so bright they burned.

"This is a mistake. We shouldn't go." He said and I opened my eyes to see him push to stand as he started toward the rooms where everyone had left to. I couldn't let him do that - we had to go. Even if I just stayed on the plane with Anya instead we had to keep this momentum. We finally had direction and I'd be damned if it was me that stalled us out again.

"No it's not. We have to test this Order theory. We're already ahead of this Saxons by knowing this contact could be a spy from Rocco's intel. This is the easiest way to get ahead of the Saxons and figure out if we can count on the Order to protect us."

"Not us." He sat down at the head of the table and leaned back, closing his eyes. "Me."

"Why you?"

"Because I'm," he trailed off with a sigh and then cracked open his bloodshot eyes. "If what Napoleon transcribed was correct then the Order of Olympias exists solely to protect the 13th bloodline. That's probably why Anya has been secure even before we went to get her."

"Then why bother helping Jack and I at the museum?" I countered and he shook his head and held up his left hand, tapping his ring finger.

"They were there to protect you - not Jack. He got lucky."

My fingers searched for the locket and then I clenched my empty fist as I remembered where it was. He ran a hand across his forehead before closing his eyes and leaned his head back again. He exhaled and his whole body slumped in the chair. The tired weariness pulsed through me as I watched him and the desire to fall asleep on the table was intense.

"Maybe we should take a quick nap before we leave." I offered and his eyes flew open as he leaned toward me.

"No sleeping." He looked me over quickly. "Maybe going is the best choice. At least we can ensure you don't fall asleep."

"If I can't sleep can I at least take a shower?" I leaned onto the table and folded up one of my arms under my head like a pillow.

"Yes. I'll try and find some pain killers for you." He offered and took my free right hand in his own, leaning toward it until he could press a kiss to my knuckles.

"My hero," I drawled and let out a sigh. He stood and helped me to my feet, wrapping his arm around my waist as we slowly moved toward the rooms.

"I'll come check on you," he eyed me suspiciously and then deposited me at the door of a room. I leaned heavily against the wood before forcing myself to stand up straight and opened the door.

With the flick of the light switch the room illuminated to reveal a four poster California King bed within a translucent blue fabric draped from all four corners and fluttering in the breeze from the air conditioning. There was sleek but rustic themed furniture covering the place. A solid wood side board, steel table lamps, ornately carved matching dressers under a gigantic rough edge mirror. It was overly masculine but none of that mattered. I wasn't going to sleep on that extremely comfortable looking bed. I frowned at it and moved toward the dressers.

Stellan's bag was on one of the dressers with my own on the other. What was strange was the much larger piece of luggage I didn't recognize. I moved toward them across the plush carpet and opened my own bag which was empty of any of the clothes I'd been wearing for the past two months. I quickly moved to the next bag, a cream and blush leather safari piece of luggage with a telescoping handle and an actual gold plated key to open the piece. I looked around the room for a minute, trying to find anything else that could be my luggage.

When I couldn't find anything else I turned the key and pressed down on the buttons to release the locks and the case opened just slightly to reveal perfectly folded clothes and lavender packets on top of it all. I fully opened the case and then stepped away - everything about that was far to fancy to be mine. I heard everyone moving out toward the living room and then footsteps behind me as I picked up a pair of panties that were so sheer and lacy I considered them to be more lingerie than functional underwear.

"You're acting like you've never seen undergarments before." Elodie drawled and I spun around at her voice, clenching the pair in my fist.

"I don't recognize any of this. It must not be mine."

"Oh they are yours." She rose an eyebrow at me. "How much do you remember from today?"

"It all fuzzes out at the restaurant. I don't even remember the name of it." I replied and turned back to the bag wondering how I could have possibly picked all these lacy things. "What did you want?"

"I"m here to drug you." She replied and I heard her shake a bottle of pills behind me. I frowned and gently moved the clothes around a bit trying to find something recognizable - it was as if all my regular clothes had vanished to be replaced with the wardrobe of some socialite. Exasperated I let out a huff and turned back around to face her, she held the bottle between her hands, twisting the cap on and off.

"Stellan was pretty far gone when you drugged him after his concussion." I eyed the bottle and leaned against the dresser.

"He was annoying me," she countered and pocketed the lid sliding a few pills out into her palm.

"Not really convincing me," I crossed my arms over my chest and she rolled her eyes and shoved all the pills back into the bottle, capping it.

"LIke I'd ever hear the end of it if I dosed his _precious_ Avery too much."

"I appreciate it, but I think I'll just manage the pain." I replied and started examining my suitcase again when she sighed and then curtly said,

"Look, I'm not going to pretend we're best friends now."

"I wasn't asking you to be my best friend." I replied but she held out a single hand toward me to stop any rant I was about to go on.

"I'm still very offended that you'd think me getting shot wasn't a sign of loyalty to this Family. But you weren't wrong - I didn't do any of that for you. I did it for Stellan because he has always been there for me, even when he wasn't obligated to be anymore."

"Fine," I countered. "I can't compete with the history all of you have, and I'm not going to try to. I just need to know that you can respect what I have to contribute. I'm not always wrong you know."

"That's the problem for me," she carefully tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "When you are right - it's about things I should have figured out on my own. I was used to being the smartest girl in the room."

"You are," I quickly countered, she started to shake her head and I held up my hand this time. "You are crucial to this team, that's why I keep deferring to you. So can we please just support each other?"

"Yes," she started and then took a breath, "but it's not exactly the same thing. I work _for_ you, not _with_ you. You're one formal receiving from being recognized as a Queen - you shouldn't be underplaying that power with your staff."

My head swam as I tried to comprehend the gravity of what she was saying. I pressed my fists into my eyes again, the lacy panties smacking against my face, "can we please not do this when I'm so concussed I should be at a hospital?"

"Whatever you say, your Majesty." She replied and I dropped my hands to glare at her grin.

"You too?" I growled and she shrugged. "Why isn't anyone calling Stellan a King?"

"It would feed his ego too much. We have to keep him in check." She quickly replied and I laughed, actually laughed, and it shook my brain so badly I grabbed my head and leaned against the dresser again, tossing the panties back into my suitcase.

"Take the pills - trust me." She set down the bottle. "Go take a shower and wash off all that blood. I'll pull out your clothes for Ibiza." I gratefully nodded and moved toward the massive bathroom.

To be honest the shower didn't help that much. It was concerning to see the water run red for so long as I washed my hair. Then the high temperature of the water mixed with my injuries in a bad way and I felt even more woozy, nauseous and sleepy. I stumbled out to the bedroom - desperate to lay down and give up. I wouldn't die if I fell asleep right? It just might do some brain damage.

"Are you alright?" Colette's voice filled the room and I turned toward her and shook my head feeling the tears well a bit in my eyes.

"I just want to sleep."

"Stellan was afraid of that." She frowned at me. "That's why he sent me to watch you."

I pulled the towel tighter around my breasts and slumped with defeat. Colette moved toward me, a bottle of water in her hand and picked up the pills Elodie had left behind. She shook out two pain pills and then cracked open the bottle of water holding them out to me. I rearranged the towel a little and dutifully took the medication. She nodded, satisfied,

"Now let's get you dressed and then I'll try to fix your hair." She moved to the bed and held out the undergarments to me. As I slipped into the bathroom to put them on she started arranging makeup and hair supplies on the side table opposite the dressers. In the harsh brightness of the bathroom vanity lights I took a closer look at myself.

Other than the bags under my eyes and the blown out pupils you couldn't tell that I was horribly injured. I guess that would work in our favor. We could meet this guy, Stellan and Jack could do all the talking and then I could go to Luc's villa and be shook awake every 30 minutes in a nice warm bed. With a sigh I dropped the towel and shimmied into the lingerie. Maybe that's not what everyone else would consider these pieces but I was used to 100 percent cotton.

I pulled on one of the lush bath robes, still too self conscious to walk around without it, and made my way over to Colette's waiting chair.

"Where did they hit you?" She gently asked, comb poised to brush out my tangles. I ran my hand across the back of my head and she nodded and moved around me to start working on the wet mess. She was surprisingly gentle, each stroke easing me deeper and deeper into relaxation. That or the drugs were kicking in. I let myself slump further in the chair and closed my eyes.

"Avery?"

I blinked my eyes open to see Luc crouching before me.

"You have to stay awake." He frowned and then looked up at Colette. "How long was she out for?"

"Maybe a minute. Her head slacked as soon as you walked in." She answered and gave my shoulders a squeeze before stepping away. I looked across to the oversized mirror to see my hair set in a perfect low slung chignon. If my hair was already done I'd passed out for longer than a minute. But at least now the pain was manageable and I didn't feel deaf - just slightly impaired.

"Almost time to go. Did you put your bag up front?" He asked Colette. She nodded and moved to the makeup kit next to the brushes and bobby pins on the sideboard.

"We pulled out her clothes you can take her bag." Colette gestured toward the luggage opposite us and Luc eyed the bed for a moment.

"What do you think, Avery?" He leaned his head toward the outfit and I took my first good look at it.

"Is that," I paused, "a leather skirt?"

"I wish. I was working with limited options and time," he huffed and moved over to pick it up and bring it to me. Colette started applying a thin layer of foundation to my face. I tried to hold still and look around her busy hands at Luc.

"It's nice but...I'm not all that into bondage Luc." I frowned and Colette tapped under my chin, correcting me. I turned to face her again.

"There is nothing wrong with a little light bondage. Americans...so puritanical." Luc placed the skirt across my lap and moved back to get the blouse. I looked down at the shiny faux leather, running my hands across the slippery fabric. Luc fluttered down a pink chiffon spaghetti strap top over the skirt smiling at the selection.

"I have a sinking feeling you picked all theses outfits." I said, fingering the fabric before Colette tapped under my chin again applying blush.

"You don't remember our arrangement?" He smiled, wide and confidant. I scowled at him, Colette tapped my chin and I turned back to face her. She started lining my lips and said through her concentration,

"That top won't work with her bra."

"Guess she can't wear a bra then." Luc shrugged and I balked at him, Colette pulled her hand back quickly so her handy work wouldn't be ruined and clicked her tongue at the two of us. "What?"

"No way," I replied and closed my mouth trying to stay still as Colette applied the lipstick.

"It's Ibiza!" Luc exclaimed and threw out his hands for effect. "You being braless will be the tamest thing of the night."

"Nope." I crossed my arms over my chest as Colette pulled out an eyelash curler.

"That wasn't our arrangement." Luc rose an eyebrow at me. "You need to look the part. Don't insult me by ruining the lines of the outfit with your prude mentalities."

"What are you all fighting about?" Stellan poked his head into the room and we all turned to look at him. He was still in his black slacks but had lost his jacket and tie, the sleeves on his white button up rolled to his elbows. "Get dressed!"

"Get Anya!" Luc countered and he turned and left.

"Done." Colette took a step back, she and Luc both nodding in agreement. "No one will be able to tell you should be in the hospital."

" _Viola!_ Let's go." Luc moved toward the luggage and then held out his hand expectantly toward me. Colette let out a little laugh as she cleaned up all her things. I glared at him but complied, reaching behind my back to pinch open the bra through the fabric and then slipping it off and out the right arm of the robe. " _Merci_."

He shoved it into the bag, snapped the luggage closed and carried my new and old pieces with him out the door. Colette zipped up her own makeup bag and smiled at me,

"You'll look stunning. Don't worry." She set some nude heels on the sideboard for me and smiled warmly again before leaving me alone. I glared at the clothes and then slowly stood and moved to the bathroom. The leather skirt slid on perfectly, skin tight and hitting just above the knee but below my belly button. With a huff I tossed the robe aside and slipped the cool fabric of the shirt over my head, careful with my hair. I let out a groan as I realized that not only would I be wearing it braless but it was a loose fitting cropped top. If I rose my hands even a little bit above my head it started to expose my stomach.

I started making a list of ways I was going to exact my payback onto Luc when I wasn't so concussed and moved out to the bedroom. I slipped the shoes on, wobbling only for a moment as my head spun, and clicked out to the empty entryway. It seemed like everyone was gone, until I heard a footstep behind me.

I turned to see Stellan holding a sleeping Anya against his chest in a purple and white flowered pajama set. Her head rested against his shoulder, her little hand clenched the pocket on his button up, and she let out a sigh in her sleep. He shifted her a little as his tired eyes raked over my outfit and then he smiled as he moved toward me.

"How do you feel?" He whispered.

"Exposed." I quickly whispered back and he let out a quiet laugh.

"I was asking about your concussion."

"Oh," I touched the back of my head. "Well the drugs kicked in, but I fell asleep again."

Stellan frowned, Anya shifted and we both turned as the elevator pinged open behind us to reveal Jack,

"We're ready."

* * *

I watched the lights of Ibiza streak past the tinted windows of the town car sandwiched between Luc and Stellan. Everyone was being very quiet - Stellan, Elodie and Jack all double checking their weapons and phones. In fact, everyone had been mostly silent for the 45 minute plane ride as well. I'd thought it had been for my and Anya's benefit but it would appear that wasn't the case. We had sat on the tarmac for about a half hour until Colette and Anya were confirmed safe in the house, Luc locking them inside with his fingerprinted security system. He'd tried to see if anyone else had started surveillance on the house as he'd left to come back and meet us but it didn't seem like it. That had only put everyone on further edge as we loaded into the town car and made our way toward the club we were meeting the Saxon spy at.

Only Luc seemed to be enjoying the view with me. It was gorgeous - mountains, desert, dark ocean. Then it started to become blurs of neon and colors, groups of people wandering around, huge masses of people surrounding buildings. You could sense the frenzied energy of the place - it was buzzing with opportunity and danger. Luc's smile started to grow on his face as he continued to look out the window.

"How often are you here?" I asked and he shook his head and looked at me, startled.

"Oh not that much." Luc smiled at me. Stellan snorted next to me and Elodie elbowed him in the ribs. "Okay, maybe I used to come here a lot. But that was before the Order started murdering everyone. Then it just became too dangerous for the only heir to be wandering off to some hedonistic playground."

"How much do you know about Ibiza, Avery?" Elodie leaned across Stellan's lap and leveled a cautious glance at me. Jack inclined his head toward us from the front seat and I could feel the nervous anticipation of my answer.

"Nothing really. From what I can see," I looked out the window again, "it seems like people are here to party. Like Cancun or some destination like that."

"Sure," Elodie said slowly. "That will suffice for tonight."

The fact that everyone looked away from me after that only confirmed I had been way off, as if calling it a hedonistic playground wasn't telling enough. Luc turned back to me and sighed,

"It's really a shame you won't get to see the real Ibiza. We picked this club because it's one of the more exclusive and smaller ones. You could hardly call that authentic."

"It's not Ibiza unless you're on a yacht." Elodie added and everyone laughed but Luc and I. It seemed like an inside joke at his expense but no one said anything further. The car slowed and parked and Stellan ordered something in Castilian to the driver. He quickly exited and shut the door leaving the car running as he stood just outside it. Jack slowly spun around in his seat to look at the four of us and Stellan took a breath before nodding to himself.

"Before we do this, I just want to make one thing perfectly clear." He looked at each of us, frozen in anticipation. "Avery and I are a weapon which means anyone trying to get to us will have to take us alive. But if something goes wrong tonight all of your priorities are to get back to Anya."

"Anya?" Luc questioned. Stellan nodded,

"If the Order are really here to protect the 13th Family then any attempts against myself will be met with their assistance. But that will leave Anya vulnerable to the Saxons, which is why she will be your priority."

"But if the Saxons kidnap you two," Jack started and Stellan immediately cut over him,

"They'll have to keep us alive. We are the only people that can open the tomb. The survival of the 13th bloodline requires Anya staying alive. Promise me that."

"Of course," Jack was first with Elodie and Luc giving reluctant affirmations after him. Stellan took a few more centering breaths and then nodded seeming satisfied, but all I felt was shaken. What had seemed like a quick trip to some crowded bar was abruptly turning into a very real attempt on my life. Stellan reached across Elodie to open her door and everyone piled out of the car.

Luc moved out next to me, straightening his shirt a little and offered me a hand out of the car. I looked up at the building - three stories tall with lights swirling around the outside of it lighting it up in multicolor. Lasers splayed patterns all over the broad side of the building and you could actually feel the music coming out of the place. It made the ground and the air vibrate around us, crisp with sea salt and sweat. Luc slipped his arm through mine and started toward the front of the club, the three trailing behind us.

"This was my favorite club." He whispered into my ear. "Let's hope I still know the bouncer." We walked past the throbbing line of people attempting to get into the club right up to the front of the venue.

" _Monsieur Dauphin!_ " The bouncer called out, moving the microphone from his headset away from his mouth as we approached.

"George! I can't believe you're still here!" Luc called out and waved. He slipped his free hand into his pocket right before we made it to George and his clipboard. Luc held out his hand to shake George's,

"Why haven't you been around?" George asked shaking a little longer.

"Business. But I'm hoping you might have something close to the bar for us?" Luc let the handshake drop and George put his hand into his pocket, but not before I saw the wad of cash he was stashing in there.

"Anything for you _Monsieur Dauphin_." George smiled and pulled his headphone back toward his mouth barking orders in Castilian. "Right this way."

There was audible cussing in several languages as the five of us moved past the whole line of people, but Luc just gave me a tug into a hallway of darkness. We turned a corner and everything hit me at once with a humid blast of physical sound. The three story building was basically a shell. The ceiling vaulted up so high I couldn't tell if there even was one, and any walls that you'd usually expect inside a building were not there. All that was there was a gigantic raised stage, huge metal structures holding lights and lasers and who knew what else, a long "L" shaped bar, and an even bigger roped off area with couches and tables. People were lounging around inside the area, drinking and dancing to the throbbing beat. It slammed into my head and mixed with the steamy air to create a slightly claustrophobic atmosphere. Right next to the bar was a pair of couches, a table, and some chairs roped off and empty. Luc reached into his pocket again and let go of my arm. He grabbed George by the hand with his money hand and then patted him on the back with the other and George disappeared into the masses. We were just far enough back from all the speakers and music that you could actually hear people talking to each other, but you weren't getting every single word. Suddenly, I realized why everyone thought this was a trap.

Jack looked at everyone and made a swirling motion with his index finger before turning around and taking off into the crowd. Luc spread himself across one of the couches, Elodie settling next to him, Stellan flagged a waitress and I just continued to stand there. It was so much to take in. Darkness with sporadic moments of strobing lights, vibrating melodies and ground shaking bass, well dressed people in our area just out of reach of the barely clothed mass undulating right next to us. I could pick out at least three couples openly pleasuring each other within our eyeshot. Alcohol was slopping around in people's cups, people were smoking - hedonistic playground seemed right on target. The waitress immediately showed up with a tray of drinks and a bottle of champaign. Luc took one look at the label and shoved it back into her hands yelling something into her ear before she took off. His purple eyes were glinting with glee and he removed his jacket folding it over the back of one of the couches.

The place dropped into darkness for a moment, leaving only a throbbing beat for a few bars. Then, just as suddenly, the lights exploded back into the space with a booming hit of the bass. I flinched and covered my eyes the demonstration stabbing right into my concussion. Right as the throbbing started to subside I felt Stellan's hand on the small of my back as he yelled into my ear,

"You shouldn't be here, it's too much!"

"It's fine!" I yelled back and looked over at him, his eyes filled with worry. "I'm fine!"

The waitress came back with a different bottle and Luc let out an enthusiastic clap of his hands grabbing it from her. Jack slid back into place with a quick nod to everyone and Stellan led me over to the couches. Luc pulled out his knife and expertly popped open the bottle of champaign letting the cork fly out into the crowd. He passed it to Elodie who took a sip and Jack stood,

"I'll go check out the bar. He should be here within the next half hour."

Elodie passed me the bottle but I shook my head and pointed to the back of my head. She handed it back to Luc who took a giant swig and then looked out at the crowd, spreading his arms wide across the back of the couch looking entirely in his element. Not even that - happy. He looked genuinely happy and I couldn't think of a time in the entirety that I'd known him that I'd seen that kind of smile on his face.

"Smile Avery!" He yelled to me, and I pointed to the back of my head to which he nodded sagely and then his face lit up. "I think I have some painkillers in my jacket pocket!"

"Lucian?!" Someone screamed from two tables down and his head snapped toward it, as did all of ours.

"Helena?!" Luc yelled back and quickly covered the space toward a dangerously thin brunette wearing a sparkling red dress. My head twinged again and I moved out of Stellan's grasp toward Luc's jacket. Stellan and Elodie were exchanging some kind of silent conversation, their heads gesturing toward Luc and Helena. I started to dig through Luc's pockets until I found a small, round metal case a little bigger than a half dollar. I popped it open to find a single white pill and sighed with relief - at least it would take the edge off.

I picked up the champagne bottle, took a swig, threw in the pill and swallowed. Snapping the case closed I turned to put it back in his jacket when I saw Luc's eyes open wide with fear. He pushed Helena out of his way and darted over to me.

"Spit it out!" He yelled.

"What?" I yelled back as Stellan and Elodie quickly flanked us. Luc closed the space between us and grabbed me around my upper arms.

"What did you take?!" His panicked purple eyes pouring over me. I held up his little pill case and his face dropped. Elodie's mouth dropped all the way open and Stellan pushed him so hard he fell into the table, all the drinks sploshed to the ground.

" _Putain idiote!_ " Stellan screamed at him and Luc actually looked scared. My hands flew to my throat and the champaign started to feel especially bubbly in my stomach - dissolving what was most certainly not a painkiller if Stellan's cursing was any indication.

"You know I didn't mean to!" Luc screamed and threw his hands up in defence as Stellan grabbed him by his dress shirt.

"Was it at least pure?" Stellan demanded and Luc started nodding vehemently.

"100%. She'll be fine in a couple hours." He answered and then they both turned to look at me. Elodie had controlled her shock and was just standing there with her hands on her hips watching it all unfold.

"Of course she'll be fine - but now she's useless! You've just compromised the entire point of this stupid trip." Stellan yelled at Luc.

My stomach churned and I saw Jack down the bar ordering a beer, drunk girls fanning out around him as he sat back down into his seat. Well, at least there were three people sober out of the five of us. I still liked those odds.

"What did I take?" I yelled at the two of them and Luc stepped forward until he was close enough so he didn't have to scream.

"Molly." He answered and gave me a nervous look. "I give it about ten minutes before you start rolling - I don't buy cheap...anything really."

"Ten minutes?!" Stellan gave me a panicked look.

"She's 45 kilos soaking wet! Of course ten minutes. And it's not like it was a low dosage either." Luc answered.

"Plus we haven't had dinner." Elodie added as Stellan and Luc looked at each other for a moment.

"What do you mean rolling?" I asked and Elodie started laughing as Stellan turned away from us letting out a growl of anger as he scanned the crowd. Luc looked me over one more time and then shook his head.

"You've never done any drugs have you, Avery?"

"No," I quickly answered and felt the panic start to rise in my chest. Luc saw it on my face and put a calming hand on my shoulder.

"Don't freak her out!" Elodie exclaimed, "she'll be even harder to handle if you send her into a bad trip."

"Right," Luc swallowed hard and then seemed to decide something. He closed his eyes to steady himself and then looked back into my face - calm and assertive. "Avery - you are about to have the best fucking night of your life."

"How exactly is that going to happen?" I fidgeted under his stare.

"What you took - it makes everything amazing. Everything! You are about to do what all the kids at that stupid school Stellan and Jack stole you from dream about. You just need to do everything I say and this little accident will end up being something much more memorable." He smiled and held out his hand to Elodie who placed a packet of gum into his hands.

"What's going to," I started to say and Luc shoved a piece of gum into my mouth. He held out his hand again and Elodie exchanged the packet of gum with a hair tie. He quickly pulled all my bobby pins out, tossing them to the ground. Then he pulled my hair back from my face and off my neck into a low ponytail. I couldn't be sure - but the fact that I was letting him rearrange me without any kind of protest seemed like a pretty good indication that the drug was starting to kick in.

"Colors are going to be sounds. Sounds are going to be colors. You will be the happiest you've ever been in your life. Everything will seem easy and lovely. The music will be amazing. The people around you will be amazing. The sex will be amazing!" Luc exclaimed and pulled off my oversized cashmere scarf tossing it toward our couch.

"What?!" I screeched at him and Elodie started nodding sagely.

"Just go with it Avery. Whatever the drug tells you to do - do it! Embrace it. Love it. Don't limit yourself." Luc continued without addressing my concern on the sex front. "Take your shoes off."

I slipped my shoes off and looked over at Elodie, the lights seeming brighter. She looked over at Stellan's tense back,

"Stellan's in for a wild night!"

"Right!" Luc suddenly yelled and then grabbed my face so I was looking eye to eye with him. "You can't touch Jack."

"Oh good idea!" Elodie quickly agreed.

"Why?!" I tried to pull away.

"Repeat after me - I will not molest Jack tonight." Luc enunciated each word.

"Why?" I demanded again.

"Because you won't know you're doing it, and Jack isn't exactly stable right now," Luc said and Stellan spun around - eyes blazing - and then looked over at Jack who threw back the last of his beer, "and then Stellan and Jack will get into a fist fight, and it will be so very, very counter productive."

"Don't forget the water." Elodie commented as she tossed my shoes toward the couch.

"Right - two rules." He looked at his watch, "Don't touch Jack and keep hydrated. Repeat the rules Avery!"

"Don't touch Jack and keep hydrated." I absently answered, looking out toward the laser display lighting up the stage, mesmerized.

"Again!" Luc yelled at me and I snapped my eyes back to him.

"Don't molest Jack and drink water!" I replied and smiled. "How will I know it's working?"

Luc opened his mouth to reply right as the spots above us swirled down onto our platform illuminating the group of us. Stellan lit up like a firework in front of me the light catching on his hair and his shirt in a way that made him glow. He looked over at me and I could feel all the breath leave my chest as I heaved,

"Fuck me he's hot."

Elodie started laughing again next to me and I saw the ghost of a smile cross Stellan's face as he watched our exchange. My body started to warm from my stomach out into my arms, the music feeding into my bloodstream competing with my quickly thumping heart. My headache disappeared, the stabbing eye pain from all the lights disappeared, the constantly heavy burden I always felt on my chest rose off of me into the air like mist. Stellan actually smiled at me and then turned back around scanning the crowd.

"How do I know it's working exactly?" I called out to Luc next to me, still watching the crowd throb and sway out on the gigantic floor.

"It's already working, _cherie_." Luc laughed and I looked over at him to see my hand stroking the fabric of his shirt over and over again. Elodie flagged the waitress over to clean up the drinks and I heard her yell out,

"And lots of water!"

"Chew the gum Avery!" Luc yelled into my ear and I realized I'd been clenching my jaw. I started smacking the gum the minty flavor covering my tastebuds with such exquisite taste that I let out a groan in my throat,

"This gum tastes so good! It's like the mintiest thing I've ever tasted!" I started swaying to the music as it moved away from EDM and more toward dance and realized in that moment why I was going to be completely useless. All I could think about was dancing and laughing and exploring this place, and then my eyes landed on Stellan again and the lust flooded me almost to choking. Stellan moved toward the group of us, eyeballing me as I swayed and leaned toward us,

"I think we should only stay for five more minutes."

"But why?!" I reached out toward him and he took a step back as Elodie grabbed me, gently, around my upper arms pulling me toward her.

"Plenty of time to molest Stellan." She laughed next to me. "Let him concentrate."

I felt dejected for a flash of a moment before the beat fed back into my body from the speakers and I started swaying back and forth, leaning into Elodie. I didn't even care that I was basically giving Elodie a lap dance, none of that mattered! We were here, the music was here, this amazing moment was here - it needed to be explored. We had all been working so hard for so long, everything would be better if we were dancing. I started smacking the gum in my mouth and ran my up and down my slick faux leather skirt, Elodie's hands sliding onto my shoulders. I could tell they were talking to each other but I didn't care.

My hips swayed back into Elodie's stomach, my ponytail swung over my bare shoulders and it felt like a thousand little kisses on my skin, I shivered with pleasure. Elodie's hands squeezed my shoulders and then she yelled loud enough to reach me through the music,

"Avery, we have to go get Jack." She released me and I did a little spin in front of her. "What's the rule?"

"Don't fuck Jack!" I called back out to her and she let out a bark of laughter looking pointedly at Stellan who rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest.

"At least she's getting the concept right." He flippantly responded. Elodie guided me over toward the bar away from the boys. It was as if she'd shown me a new planet. Each step was a new sensation under my feet, my fingers were reaching out to run across fabric, then skin, then sweat, across all the strangers in my path. Elodie would squeeze a shoulder to turn me and each time it sent a rush of endorphins down my spine making me sway with pleasure.

With a few flicks of her hands and some pointed looks the gaggle of girls circling Jack at the bar started to dissipate. One particularly busty blonde was leaning toward him laughing when Elodie wrapped one arm around my shoulders, keeping me close to her and used the other to tap the blonde on the shoulder,

"You're in my seat." She yelled out. The girl gave Elodie a nasty look and I immediately felt a wave of protective anger swell through me,

"No need for that hag! Leave. He's taken."

The blonde batted her eyelashes at Jack who eyed us carefully before dismissively waving her off. Elodie leaned onto my back, her arms draping over me like a shawl and I felt the overwhelming urge to kiss her arms - so I did. Her skin was so soft and smooth against my lips I couldn't stop. Jack's eyes flew open, his hand clenching on his beer bottle.

"Avery accidently took some Molly." Elodie laughed, not seeming to care that I was molesting her arms. Well, I guess that wasn't against the rules. The beat changed again and I abandoned the kissing to start swaying to the music again. Elodie finished, "So it's time to go."

"Obviously!" Jack exclaimed and polished off his bottle. He stood and a series of strobe lights went off making him appear to move in slow motion. Then the lights hit on him again washing him in a blueish glow. He looked even more attractive than usual and I grabbed Elodie's arm to wrap across my breasts before yelling out,

"I'm not supposed to touch you!"

"That's a good idea," Jack replied, eyeing Elodie's arm across my breasts before the side of his mouth twitched with a smile.

"But Luc didn't say anything about Elodie touching you!" I ducked to the floor, spun around Elodie's back and pushed her into Jack's chest. They stumbled, the lights went out for a moment before slamming back on, illuminating the entire room with blinding white light before a machine in the ceiling whooshed on and a shower of confetti exploded out of it all over the crowd. Everyone cheered and the next thing I knew I was pushing through the mob toward the shower of confetti, barely registering Jack and Elodie scream out toward me,

"Avery come back!"

* * *

A/N - Special thanks to the team of lovely ladies that continue to make this story awesome! :)

 **Chapter Soundtrack:**

Ocean Drive - Duke Dumont

I Took a Pill in Ibiza - Mike Posner

Sing Me to Sleep - Alan Walker

So Long - Slushii feat. Madi

Lions in the Wild - Martin Garriz & Third Party


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

The mob closed in around me drowning them out and I floated on the wave of it all. We moved as one, swaying and shifting in perfect timing to the music. Confetti rained down onto my hair and face as I looked up into the sky, my hands reaching out toward the colorful shower. A boy in a blue tank top spun me around and around for a moment before dropping me and moving on to the next girl. Two girls in identical yellow tube top dresses flanked me and we all laughed and started dancing together like we'd known each other our whole lives.

I could feel the sweat dripping down my body but I didn't feel anything but pure pleasure. The giant fan above us let out short blast of cold air as another shower of confetti rained down. Everyone around me let out the same kind of amazed shout that was coming from my own mouth. People started making bigger movements on the dance floor creating some space and I waited for two people to go in front of me before jumping into the open circle to dance. I rolled my neck my ponytail flipping around my head and threw my hands up into the air spinning in a tight circle before jumping up and down. Confetti was sticking to my feet, everyone was smiling, a group of girls wearing glow in the dark bracelets and necklaces circled me throwing necklaces around my neck. I clapped with excitement at my new friends and then one of the girls grabbed my face and kissed me square on the lips. I kissed her back, the feeling of her lips against my own electric. She pulled back, everyone laughing and we started dancing again.

The lights dropped out and my vision blurred a bit against the glare of the glow in the dark necklaces. The laser display raced across the sky above us projecting on all the fog that hung in the air. I reached my hands up to touch it and stumbled into a couple. I tried to adjust myself and realized the couple were actually fucking each other on the dance floor, the girl reaching down to touch her toes as the guy plowed into her. I shrugged and turned away from them to find my group of glow in the dark friends. The girl I'd kissed said something in a foreign language, holding out a sucker to me. I opened to mouth to say I didn't understand her when she shoved the sucker into my mouth. I took it out only for a moment so I could spit my gum into the sky above us. They all laughed and then gave me peace signs as they wandered further into the moving mass of people.

I started dancing again as I worked on the sucker. The strobe light flickered on as a gigantic blast of fog rolled out across the crowd from above us. Everyone yelled with excitement, surging together. I saw a river of blue come oozing out of the speakers, covering the crowd and even though I knew it was some kind of hallucination I couldn't help but feel like it was the driving force behind all of this. I spun around again and slipped in some confetti right into a solid wall of someone. I clutched onto his shirt and looked up into the face of Jack.

"Jack!" I screamed with excitement.

"Avery, let's go!" He yelled and I pulled his shirt toward me with both hands shaking my head.

"Dance with me!"

"Absolutely not." He ordered and pulled the sucker out of my mouth hurling it over the heads of everyone around us into the abyss of people.

"But I'm having so much fun! You're such a fun killer!" I argued and then ran my hands up his chest and over his shoulders, grabbing at the muscles under his shirt. He looked anywhere but at me, scanning the crowd as I made another pass. "Just let me dance a little longer. Don't tell Stellan!"

Jack finally locked eyes with me, he ripped the glow in the dark necklaces off, tossing them aside, and then reached into his back pocket and held up his phone to me showing rapid fire texts coming through. "He already knows you're missing. You're in big trouble."

I tried to keep up with them:

 _I will murder you!_

 _First I'll strangle you, then I'll drown you._

 _Don't come back without her._

"Awww fuck," I frowned for a moment but then countered with, "but you found me! So now we can dance."

"No!" He yelled back and tried to grab my arms but they were so slick with sweat I slipped right out of his grasp and spun away from him out toward an open spot on the dance floor. I felt him grab the back of my shirt and yank me against his chest before the crowd swelled again and we were flush against each other. I just kept dancing, swaying with the infectious beat. My hands flew up and smacked Jack on the side of his head, my fingers brushing against his hair. I spun around in his arms, my eyes wide as my hands darted toward all his now wavy hair, running it across my sensitive fingers over and over again.

"Your hair feels amazing!" I yelled and he stood completely still for a moment letting me touch him. Someone grabbed my hands and pulled me back, wrapping them around myself.

"You broke the rule Avery!" Elodie yelled into my ear.

"But his hair feels amazing! You should touch it Elodie!" I yelled back and then tried to blow a piece of yellow confetti off my shoulder since I couldn't use my hands.

"No thank you." Elodie squeezed me closer and everything went into strobing white and black for a moment before dropping into a sea of darkness and colored lasers. I looked between the three of us and saw two distinct color of lasers, and it suddenly all made sense to me. Everyone was connected to each other, we were all one entity, one being. The lasers disappeared and colors started burning in my mind's eye between everyone in the club illuminating lines between people. I looked between Jack and myself - red. I looked between Elodie and Jack - gold. I looked between Elodie and myself - purple. I had to tell them - they had to know how important this was.

"You really should! Your tethers are gold!"

"I thought you said she just took Molly." Jack yelled over to Elodie who slackened her hold on me. I shook my head and pulled them both close to me, marveling at how much brighter the tethers glowed the closer we were to each other.

"You don't understand. Elodie we have a purple tether because we're becoming friends finally! And Jack you and I have a red tether because we used to like each other but now I love Stellan." I laughed for a moment as the realization washed over me. "Oh my god - I'm going to marry Stellan!"

"You are so high right now!" Jack looked at me with concerned eyes, our red tether throbbing from the tension in his face. I continued on anyway,

"But you and Elodie have a gold tether. You still love each other! You are soulmates! The reason it isn't white like Stellan's and mine is because you used to be in a relationship."

"That lying _connard_!" Elodie yelled toward Jack. "He told Stellan it was clean, but obviously it wasn't. She's tripping balls right now!"

"No!" Jack yelled at her, ignoring my revelation altogether, "I found her with some kind of sucker in her mouth. I bet it was acid."

They were not understanding me at all. I sighed and looked out at the crowd seeing all the bobbing and glowing rainbows of lights connecting everyone around us - pulsing to the same beat of the music in visible waves above me. I felt Elodie grab my side as if she was going to move me out of the dancing and I turned to get away from her when I saw a tetherless man. The music moved around him, the tethers from all the people next to him faltered and flickered - not able to connect to him. He wasn't supposed to be here, he wasn't part of all this. Then it clicked into place,

"Like that guy!" I pointed to him and Jack and Elodie snapped to attention turning. "He has no tethers. He must be the contact we've been waiting for."

Jack's hand flew to his gun, Elodie dropped me and reached for her knife and I took two steps toward him.

"You're late!" I yelled at him. He eyed Jack and Elodie before turning back to look at me. The crowd shifted and I could see a small alcove of space open up against one of the walls. I pointed to the man and then the space and he nodded as we all moved toward it. There were still groups dancing and drinking around us but it had the air of privacy we needed for this exchange.

I looked harder at him as the reaching tethers from all the other dancers faded and stopped around him. He wasn't part of this, any of this. He never had information. He had lured us here to try and gather information, or steal Anya, or maybe just stab Stellan and I to get more blood.

"You don't have anything, do you?"

His eyes narrowed and he took a step toward me, but Elodie and Jack wrapped him up so fast all he could do was let out a small grunt of pain. I walked forward and reached into his front jacket pocket to pull out his phone, swiped the screen on and opened his texts.

"Lydia?" I held the phone up to his face and he just looked away. It had to be her - it was confirmation of landing, arriving, and finding us - though no instructions on what to do when he was there. I shook my head and then laughed.

"What?" Jack growled shoving his gun deeper into the stranger's side.

"We're winning." I looked over at Jack feeling my whole body ignite with spectacular vengeance. There were no instructions for this minion because Lydia had no idea what to do next. Even if she found the tomb before us only Stellan and I could activate the weapon, and now that we had Anya there was no leverage. Jack and Elodie looked at each other for a moment, and then at me expectantly and I realized they weren't following.

"He's useless." I yelled and then quickly texted back to Lydia,

 _I'm coming for you. Sister._

The little word 'delivered' under the text almost immediately switched to the time. So little sister was waiting for her report.

 _Avery wait I can explain._

I hurled the phone at the ground, it skidded toward Jack who promptly stomped on it until the screen caved into the back of the phone. I looked up at the stranger and knew what I had to do. If Stellan was right this place could be crawling with Saxons, we had to protect Anya.

I shrugged, almost apologetically, clenched my right fist and then ran my thumb across my throat looking pointedly at Jack and Elodie. The stranger's eyes went wide and then hard as he struggled against Jack and Elodie's hold.

The lights flickered off, the strobe came on again, the crowd surged around us, making everyone slam into each other. Through the strobe I saw a flash of Elodie's knife and the spy let out a scream that was sucked up into the yell of the crowd as the sky opened up and a shower of metallic confetti started to fall from the sky. The man slumped against Jack and then slid to the ground. Jack grabbed me, threw me onto his back and looked at Elodie who quickly started shoving people out of the way as we parted the crowd and rounded the edge of the club back toward the VIP section.

By the time we made it to the bar we were all covered in the itchy confetti, our sweat making it stick to our skin. I slid off Jack's back and went to move toward the couches when he grabbed me around the arm again.

"I'm not going to run!" I protested trying to squirm out of his grab when I noticed my tether vibrate and explode white and looked up to see Stellan's eyes landing on me. I shook Jack off me roughly and took two slippery steps before gaining my balance and ran toward him. I struggled around dancing couples and waitresses holding trays of empty glasses, each step making the connection between us glow brighter and brighter. I pushed the stanchion of our section down and stepped over the velvet rope ignoring the chain reaction of falling stanchions and stopped right in front of him. It was like a lightning storm had erupted between us. I was so blinded by him for a moment that all I could do was stare - but then the lust in my body pulsed so hard I shook. I had to have him. Now.

I put out my hands, touching his shirt - buttery and slick under my fingers - and then pushed him as hard as I could. Stellan was so caught off guard he stumbled backward onto a couch and looked up at me with confused eyes. I closed the space between us and straddled him.

"Avery!" Luc called out to me, sounding flustered. "Not here!"

"Yes here!" I called over my shoulder and felt the lightning strike between us flow through me right down to my toes. Stellan's hands ran up my thighs and then he pressed his palms onto my braless back before he looked up into my face and kissed me. Everything in me clenched and then relaxed and I sighed against his mouth, relishing the tiny release. I then immediately flew up into the sky, feeling like I was going to burst into a thousand little diamond pieces on the dark ceiling above us. Someone's arm was hard around my waist, pulling me back down to earth. As I landed I heard Jack right next to my ear,

"No - NOW Stellan."

Everything whirled and spun around me, colors and music blending together at high speed as Jack's iron grip on my waist drug me toward something. My feet slid around on the ground underneath me, unable to get purchase due to all the confetti and club gunk. Just as suddenly as we were swirling in that blender of sweaty music I felt the cool air of the evening hit my body. I shivered and managed to focus my eyes long enough to see my arms glistening with sweat. That couldn't be right - why was I sweating so bad? I heard a little voice in my head laugh,

 _All the fun you're having!_

Right! I was having so much fun - that's why I was sweating so bad. I tilted my face up toward the night sky, and started leaning back against Jack's arm further and then further as if I was going to do a backbend. I felt his bicep flex against me and started laughing. He yanked me back up and then I was changing hands and looked into Luc's face.

"Luc!' I yelled and threw my arms around his neck. "I'm having so much fun! I love you! You know that right? It wouldn't have been so bad to marry you. Even if I'm not your type."

"Of course, _cherie_." Luc replied but wasn't smiling. Something ice cold splashed on the back of my neck and I let out a shriek followed by a long sigh.

"She is going to overheat." Elodie's concerned voice broke through as another splash of cold water hit the back of my neck. "Turn around Avery."

I did as I was commanded to and felt Elodie and Luc push me up against a wall and put a bottle of water against my lips. Someone commanded me to drink and I sloppily grabbed the bottle with my own hands and held it in place. When the first drop hit my lips I moaned with ecstasy. This must be what people dying of thirst feel like. I tilted my head back and started gulping it as fast as I could, the water running down my chin and all over my already soaked shirt. The little voice in my head chuckled,

 _More water silly girl!_

"More!" I threw the bottle to the ground and felt a little more stable. The water sloshed all over the swirling in my brain, cooling it off to something manageable.

"No!" Luc shook his head and examined me with very critical eyes. "Later."

" _Stellan va vous tuer_." Elodie told Luc and his face became even paler than usual. I reached out and started stroking his cheeks.

"It will all be fine, don't you worry, Luc."

"You're right Avery." He gave me a weak smile. "We just need to get some food in you and then maybe you won't be so very," he paused and shook his head, "high."

"That's actually not a bad idea." Elodie commented and then disappeared around a corner. Luc put an arm around my waist and I rested my head on his shoulder. The world was starting to come back into focus from that blurry mess it had been. All the people and buildings had gone back to normal, but the music was still visible and pulsing down the street weaving around all the groups. I started rubbing my cheek on his shoulder the fabric feeling amazing against my skin and gave a little contented sigh.

"You're the best."

"You are delightful high." Luc laughed. "I can't wait to see you peak, it will be a masterpiece."

"I haven't peaked yet?" I laughed and let go of him leaning against the wall, my fingers finding every single nook and cranny.

"Give it another half hour." Luc smiled and then bit his lip looking worried. "Actually - that's horrible timing. We'll be driving to the villa."

"Driving?" I ran my hands in a wide arch up and down the building, like I was making snow angels.

"Jack and Elodie said we have to leave. Stellan and Jack went to get the car." Luc moved to stand in front of me and grabbed me by the chin. "Look at me."

"When was all that decided?" I gave him two long blinks and watched the music coming from a nearby club swirl around the pool of light the street lamp was providing just in front of us.

"I knew you were blacking out on us." Luc frowned. "What happened out there on the dance floor?"

"Oh that!" I pushed off the wall and moved toward the circle of light on the sidewalk, testing the rim of it with my toe as it rippled like the edge of a pool. "Elodie stabbed a guy on the dance floor."

"What?!" Luc grabbed my arm and spun me around. I looked down and saw our tether turn dark purple.

"Don't worry about it!" I smiled and pet his face with my free hand. "He was Saxon. Lydia sent him."

"How do you," he started and then looked over my shoulder. I turned to see a darkly tinted car squeal around the corner and came to a quick stop in front of us. The back passenger door swung open and Jack and Stellan slipped out effortlessly, glanced around briefly, touched their weapons and then moved toward us. It was a sight to behold - the two of them in full Keeper mode - and I turned to Luc and smirked,

"Are you seeing this?"

" _Cherie_ \- no one is seeing what you're seeing." He laughed and let Jack and Stellan herd him toward the car, ducking in. They moved to me next but I shook my head,

"Elodie is getting me food."

" _Attendez! Je suis ici!_ " Elodie called out to us a plastic bag swinging from her arm. I crossed my arms over my chest and smiled smugly. Jack reached out his hand to the quickly approaching Elodie who grabbed it and then the two of them folded into the car. Stellan reached out and grabbed one of my crossed arms,

"Time to go party monster."

"Why do you always ruin all my fun?" I cocked my head to the side revealing the pulsing club behind him and the three men walking toward us in slow motion from across the street. Stellan hesitated only for a moment as he watched the confusion cross my face and then everything speed up to double time.

He swung the door shut and slammed a fist on the hood twice, the car's tires squealed as it burnt out on the old road, darting down the street. He blurred before me as he grabbed me around the waist and then we were running, slipping, weaving around the crowds of people and slow moving scooters.

We dove into an outdoor cafe filled with people despite the hour, bright orange and yellow chairs with green tables covered in booze and chips. Stellan moved us through the outdoor seating through the indoor order counter and then straight out the back of the restaurant through the kitchen. Men started yelling in Castilian at us but it was lost in the blur of smells and sounds to me. We stumbled into the back alley of the cafe, the street a patchwork of different sized pavers and trash. The light was dim and I paused to take a giant breath and managed,

"Saxons?"

"Saxons." Stellan confirmed and looked past me. I turned as well to see the three men point at us from the bottom of the street, before pushing a group of drunk guys out of their way as they started to advance on us. Stellan grabbed my wrist and we were running again. The sweat was beading down my back, my hair sticking to my neck as it rapidly fell out of my makeshift ponytail.

We skidded into a cart of souvenirs, woven bracelets and brightly colored scarves piling around our feet for a moment before there was another yank to my arm and I stumbled across the pavers after him. He wove between buildings, took us up a flight of stairs that bridged over a restaurant below it and let us out on an entirely new street.

This street wasn't as lively as the others but people were still milling about, drinking, smoking, barfing onto the sidewalk - their friends laughing at them. We were getting closer to the ocean, I could smell it in the air, feel the humidity mix with the dripping sweat covering my body. We stopped as he attempted to get his barrings and I hunched over my legs and started sucking in lungfuls of air. I noticed my feet for the first time and immediately looked away - they were bleeding. What was more concerning was that I couldn't feel them.

"Come on," he ordered and grabbed my wrist again. Stopping for a moment had made my whole skirt suction to my body from all the sweat. I was having to take four steps for every one of his strides and attempted to hike up the skirt up a little as we jogged to the end of the alley. He turned back to look at me for only a moment and then pulled me aside crouching down as he pulled out his knife. I froze, unsure exactly what was about to happen, as he nicked the end of the skit, grabbed the fabric in both hands and ripped it. The fabric split into a million little fibers up the side of my leg all the way up to my hip and I let out a charged breath - that was incredibly hot, and he needed to do that to all of my clothes from now on. But just as quickly as the desire was starting to rise in me we were racing down a small alleyway back out onto the main street.

Stellan scanned the street, mostly deserted this time of night, and then yanked on my arm pulling me toward a shuttered restaurant. We walked around to the back and he looked up and down the alleyway for a moment before taking a few steps back and then slammed his boot so hard next to the handle of the door that it splintered and fired open. I stood, awestruck, before he yanked me in behind him and we slipped into the dark restaurant. He pulled out his phone, turning on the flashlight and made quick work of barricading the door before turning back toward me.

"Who are you?" I felt it drop out of my mouth before I could stop myself and he looked at me alarmed for a moment.

"Avery," he took a few steps toward me, his flashlight bouncing off of all the stainless steel, "do you know where we are?"

"Some random restaurant in Ibiza," I quickly shot off his face relaxing. "That was some Jason Bourne shit Stellan."

He held his hands out, exasperated, the flashlight making a wide arch on the ceiling and his mouth opened to say something, but movement caught his eye out toward the empty restaurant. The light on his phone cut off and he covered the space between us grabbing me around the waist before sliding us swiftly into the darkness of the pantry. From the front of the restaurant we heard voices in a cockney English that could only be Saxon. I felt his fingers clench with anger around my waist as he lowly cursed in French and then just as suddenly he dropped me and whispered,

"Tracker. They put a tracker on you."

He pulled me deeper into the pantry and turned on his flashlight, quickly turning me around so my back was to him. His fingers ran over my scalp starting with the crown and moving toward the still very tender base of my skull. His gentle probing caused me to relax for a moment and the Molly kicked into high gear. Every inhalation made my body buzz with frantic kinetic energy. Luc had said I was going to peak in the car, right? What if all this running and sweating was escalating the peak?

Stellan's fingers moved through my hair again and I couldn't help but press my skull into his hands.

"Stop it." He ordered, concentrating, and moved toward my ears. His fingers burned a path over the outer ridge and then my whole body pulsed with desire as I felt his fingers fiddle with the backs of my earrings. I grabbed onto a pantry shelf and let out a charged breath. He yanked out the small diamond studs and took a step away from me the flashlight concentrating on the palm of his hand.

" _Fils de pute_ ," he cursed and then looked at me for a moment before ordering. "Stay here."

There was no way I could move, everything was blurry with color and sound again. I could see flashes of neon red and yellow across my vision despite the darkness of the pantry. I could smell all the decades of spilled spices and flour on the shelves. I could taste the ocean, my sweat, the bitter bite of all my smearing make-up. I heard the ice spill into the tray from the ice maker just outside the pantry and it sent a chill down my body. Ice. Water. I needed water. I tried to take a step and the floor was slippery under my feet. I had no idea if it was because I was tripping out or they were bleeding so bad it had formed a puddle of blood. I didn't have the guts to look. Besides, all I would see was blazing reds and yellows battling across my vision.

But then a lightning strike of white entered back into the fray and I meekly pushed past my chapped lips, "water."

"Shit," Stellan swore, "water." The light surrounding him disappeared for a moment and I heard him banging around in the kitchen before he returned with an entire pitcher of water. He put the pitcher to my lips and I started gulping it down, each sip making the pantry come back into focus. The water ran down the front of my shirt, down my exposed thigh, stinging my feet as it slopped to the ground.

"Avery," he pulled the pitcher away from me to dump the rest of it over the back of my neck. "You have to stay with me."

"I'm trying," I gasped, still breathless from drinking all the water so fast. I leaned back against the pantry crushing boxes of pasta and knocking glass bottles into each other.

"Are you still wearing anything else from earlier in the day?" He asked as he tried to right me. I blinked a few times in disbelief as Stellan's words formed like balloons and floated in yellow and red neon trails in front of my vision. I blinked again and they were gone.

"No, I threw up all over everything."

"Threw up?!" He grabbed my shoulders and righted me with a yank. I looked into his face, panic and frustration filled his eyes, his cheeks were pink with color.

"I woke up. I threw up. I choked. Jack broke free. Saved me. We ran."

"Avery," he started, his hands coming to cup my face before he crushed me to his chest. With one hand holding me to his chest the other started frantically typing on his phone and then he pocketed it and pulled me back out to face him. The world spun again as Stellan shook his head, his blond hair blurring. I put my hands on his chest trying to steady myself and it sent a ripple of desire through my body.

"Everything is blurring and buzzing. I think I'm peaking."

"I don't even know how you are conscious right now." He wondered aloud and then put his arm around my waist and started pulling me out of the pantry. Something giant and black moved into the kitchen in front of us and I gasped.

Stellan shoved me, hard, back into the pantry causing the glass bottles above my head to come tumbling down from the highest shelves. Pickles, tomatoes, olives, flour, sugar - they all shattered around me as they hit the ground. A giant glass bottle of pickles slammed into in my shoulder causing me to stumble, slip and fall. Glass shards punctured into the palms of my hands and cut up my arms as I landed hard on my ass. I wanted to scream but I was gagging against the cloud of flour that was hanging in the air. I scrambled backward further into the pantry and looked out into the blackness barely able to make out anything. There were some muffled groans, the clattering of an object and then an explosion of light,

 _Bang!_

"Stellan!" I screamed and he whirled around holding the gun over the lifeless body on the ground. The backdoor he'd barricaded splintered open as two more men shoved into the space. A single shot went off from the intruders first and I watched Stellan's shoulder hitch before the bullet lodged above me, slipping through a bag of rice. Stellan quickly squeezed off two shots, the men fell to the ground as the rice rained down onto me from above. I kept batting it away from my eyes, transfixed as Stellan walked up to them, nudging them with his boot and then aimed right at their heads and squeezed off three more shots.

I closed my eyes and put my hands over my face, collapsing onto my knees, rocking back and forth. My brain couldn't keep up. This was all too much. The gunshots were echoing in my ears on an endless loop. The flashes from the gun were burnt into my vision like awful sunbursts. Those men were dead. He'd just executed three people. The only saving grace was that is was so dark in here I could barely make out any gory details.

"Avery," his voice was next to my ear, his palm rested on my shoulder and I pushed him away, my hands shaking.

"Stop."

"We have to go." He ran his hand across my shoulders and I shrunk away from him.

"I can't."

I felt him try to move me again and then he dug his fingers into my shoulder and let out a hiss of pain. My eyes flew open and I looked over at him. He'd pulled out his gun again with his bad arm and I followed his line of sight to the doorway. The giant gold medallions was the first thing I saw and I gasped,

"Order."

" _Dimitri,_ _chto yebat'?"_ Stellan yelled next to me I looked up into the man's face but didn't recognize him. Stellan seemed to, though, because he dropped his gun and his hold on me. They started talking in Russian to each other, at least I thought it was. My ears were still ringing from the gunfire making everything muffled and distorted. Colors started to dance in front of my eyes again, the blinding white between Stellan and I, the strange orange between Stellan and the Order members. I closed my eyes and leaned back against the shelves, desperate for any kind of release from this rollercoaster. This wasn't fun anymore. It was physically painful to have to keep reacting to every sight and smell and sound around me. I pressed my hands over my ears and curled up into a ball again right as I heard Stellan yell in English,

"But aren't you supposed to protect me?"

"Protect not interfere." One of the men said with a thick Russian accent.

"Can't you at least help me with her?" Stellan pleaded.

"We protect the 13th family. And only the 13th family - your highness." The same man responded and then there was a buzzing silence. Stellan started cursing in Russian next to me and then I felt his hands grab under my arms and lift me to standing.

I slipped and frantically groped around to steady myself managing to grab onto his shoulder. He let out a yelp and I looked at where my hand had landed, his white shirt was dripping with blood. I pulled my hand back, his blood mixing with the large gash on my palm and we both said at the same exact moment,

"Shit."

In the distance I was picking up the sound of sirens mixing with all the other sounds in my head and Stellan just grabbed me closer and drug us toward the back door. When my feet didn't trip on anything I looked down to realize the bodies were gone. I didn't know if I was still hallucinating or the Order had taken the Saxon spies bodies with them when they left. We stumbled out into the alleyway and looked up and down the street for a moment before he spotted a parked car four businesses up.

We limped in silence, dripping our toxic blood along the street, and reached the car. With the butt of the gun Stellan tapped the glass of the passenger side window and shattered it the shrill alarm of the car going off instantly. He reached in, unlocked the door, threw the gun at the seat and dove under the steering column ripping out wires. I looked up and down the street and then at the trail of blood, my eyes transfixed on it. How could something so universal, so simple, be so sinister? The shrill alarm abruptly cut off and he slid in first.

"Get in," he ordered and I folded into the car and slammed the door, glass shards tinkering to the ground with the movement. The car roared to life and I prayed that I would pass out for this part. The universe, mercifully, obliged me as my world quickly dissolved to blackness.

* * *

A/N - Fun fact - this was initial idea I had for this story. Putting all the characters in Ibiza and having it go horribly wrong. Once again - bottles of wine and chocolate going out to my editing team that continues to support my efforts.

 **Chapter Soundtrack:**

Broken Drum - Cash Cash feat. Fitz and the Tantrums

All My Love - Major Lazer feat Ariana Grande

I Want You to Know - Zedd feat. Selena Gomez

Get Low - DJ Snake feat. Dillon Francis

Five More Hours - Deorro feat. Chris Brown


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER TWELVE**

" _Kuklachka."_

I opened my eyes to see we were inside of a garage. I took in a large breath and looked over at Stellan. Hair wildly out of place and half his shirt covered in blood he locked eyes with me and waited until I nodded at him. Seeming satisfied with my response he unbuttoned the top half of his shirt and pulled it away from his injured shoulder with a hiss. An angry red line, still weeping blood, showed the trajectory of the bullet that had barely missed him. Any lower and it might have been a very different night for the two of us. He grimaced and then looked up at me, his face instantly shifting to comforting from my reaction,

"I'll be fine, it just grazed me. It will probably heal up in the next hour or so."

I nodded, past words now, and put a shaky hand on my door handle, it smeared with blood upon contact. I pulled back and turned the palms of my hands upward marveling at the cuts for a moment before the door opened. I hadn't even heard Stellan get out of the car, but then he was helping me out and we had made it into the entryway of the house. I looked behind us for a moment and saw a few of my bloody footprints before we rounded into the living room. The bubbling, frantic conversation stopped abruptly, everyone but Colette pointing a gun at us and then Luc exclaimed,

"What the fuck happened?"

Stellan pointed to Luc and Colette, the action making his shoulder wound start to bleed down his arm again,

"You two stay right there - don't come anywhere near us."

They froze, faces going pale, and Stellan pointed at Jack and Elodie next the blood dripping off his elbow onto the expensive looking floors.

"You two clean this up. Bleach it. Burn it. I don't care - but get rid of it."

Jack and Elodie jumped into action moving toward the kitchen to get supplies as Colette and Luc quickly moved onto the deck, eyes still wide with shock.

Stellan let out a grunt of pain as he muscled me closer to himself and drug us down the hall toward the closest bathroom. He kicked the door shut with a bang and then hit the lights, turning us to the side until we were looking into the vanity mirror.

I couldn't even recognize myself. My hair was matted to my head in clumps of sweat and residual flour with glittering pieces of confetti hitting the vanity lights as I breathed. My pupils were so dilated you couldn't even see the purple in my eyes anymore. My cheeks were bright like someone had painted them on, yet all my makeup had melted away. And then there was the blood. So much blood. Stellan's blood smeared all over me from having to carry me around, cuts all over my arms and wrists from the broken bottles, and the still bleeding cuts on my palms. My skin was itchy from all the spices and leftover confetti mixing with my sweat. My skirt was ruined - the rip at my hip visible in the mirror showing off the lace of my panties.

I watched as Stellan carefully pulled off his shirt, tossed it to the ground and leaned closer to the mirrors to examine his wound. It was already closing up and I looked down at my mangled feet wishing I had the same super power. Satisfied he removed his knife and his gun, placed them in the sink and took a few steps behind me to walk into the shower, clothes and all, and turned it on. The thing was massive. The entire shower was a rectangle made out of small gleaming white pieces of travertine with silver square shaped rainshower heads on opposite ends of the shower. There was a deep seated shower bench just out of the splash zone of the showerheads. Only two of the walls were tile, the other two were glass from floor to ceiling. The steam from the rainshower heads were being sucked up into some kind of fan system in the ceiling. Stellan kicked his boots off, letting them crash into the vanity cabinets and then reached out a hand to me to help me into the space.

As soon as I stepped over the little lip he closed the door behind me and pulled me under the water. It was only hitting half of each of our bodies but it immediately started washing away all our toxic blood down the drain. The voice from the club filtered back through all my fuzzy thoughts again with a playful laugh,

 _You should drink some of that water._

I lifted my face to the sky and started taking gulps of hot water. It sloshed around inside my stomach in an uncomfortable way but I finally started to feel the drugs wane again. Even with the voice I was hallucinating, it would appear my peak was over and I counted that as a small miracle.

Stellan finished rubbing off all the blood on his right shoulder and chest and reached out to grab my forearms, pulling my damaged wrists and palms under the water. It stung despite how high I was and I tried to pull away but he grabbed me closer.

"We have to clean them out," he grumbled and leaned toward my arms. The water pounded into the back of his neck and poured over his shoulders making small streams that ran down his chest. It was mesmerizing and as soon as he dropped one of my hands I immediately reached out to touch his chest sliding my hand up his slippery skin and stopping short of his still forming scar. He pulled my right palm closer to his face as he examined the puncture wound from the broken glass,

"These don't look good, Avery."

 _That doesn't matter_ the little voice laughed. I nodded my head. The voice was right, I was supposed to be listening to the drug so I didn't go into a bad trip. Despite some stinging I couldn't feel any of the pain I knew I should be. Stellan dropped my other hand and moved closer to start examining the small cuts on my arms.

 _You should fuck him - it will feel amazing._

I nodded again, agreeing with the voice. That sounded like the best idea of the night. I reached out and slid my hands down his chest grabbing his belt.

"What are you doing?" He froze under my touch.

"Undressing you." I undid the belt letting it hang loosely against his wet pants.

"That's not a good idea." He put his hands over the top of mine. I looked up into his face and started to unbutton his pants.

"Oh really," I questioned and pressed my hand into the front of his slacks, running down the bulge there while raising an eyebrow. Stellan's eyes flew wide open and he grabbed onto my wrists to stop me.

"You are very high, Avery." He squeezed my wrists and I unbuttoned his pants anyway and then bit my lip.

"But I'm alive." I reached for his zipper, "and so are you."

"Not a good enough reason," he answered his voice going tight and his hands going slack. I took the opening and unzipped his pants. They were so wet they fell immediately to the ground at his feet.

"It's my birthday." I countered and pulled at the band on his underwear, he sucked in a quick breath.

"You didn't want me to acknowledge your birthday." He said to my lips and swallowed hard. "And it's over now."

"You can try to do the right thing again," I slipped my fingers past the band on his underwear until I could wrap my hand around him, rock hard against my palm. "But we both know you can't tell me no this time."

He let his head fall onto my shoulder, the water pounding onto his sunburst tattoo and let out a groan as I stroked him a little,

"You're right."

 _Make him rip the rest of your clothes off._

I smiled victoriously and took another long drink of hot water agreeing with the voice again. This voice was giving the best advice tonight. I let go of Stellan and put my hands onto his shoulders, my thumb brushing against his already closed cut. He sucked in a breath of discomfort through his teeth and started to raise his head. I pressed down onto his shoulders, even the injured one, until he slipped to his knees in front of me. He looked up at me, confused, and I smiled down at him,

"You already ruined the skirt. Just rip the rest of it off."

He rose an eyebrow at me and hesitated, I let out a huff of irritation and grabbed the bottom of my shirt and quickly whipped it off my body, tossing it against one of the glass walls. It slopped to the floor and I stepped into the overhead rush of water, letting it wash me off further. His lips made contact with my stomach right above my skirt and I closed my eyes and let the water pound into my skull. As he continued to kiss me I felt his hands running up my exposed leg all the way to my hip. I looked down, the water running over my breasts and down my stomach all over his hands, he wrapped his fingers around the band, grabbing my panties as well. He yanked once, the fabric not yielding, and I marveled at how each muscle group flexed across his body on the next yank - his forearms to his biceps to his shoulders to his back. The second time was a charm and my ruined clothes fell to the ground leaving me completely naked in the shower now.

For a flash of a moment I realized I should probably feel embarrassed but the Molly washed right over all that and the little voice in my head giggled with excitement,

 _You should give him a blowjob first._

I wanted to high five the voice. Excellent suggestion, even if I'd never done that before. I ran my hands up his shoulders and neck to tilt his face up to me and said,

"Stand up."

He immediately complied and before he could even touch me I dropped to my knees and pulled his underwear off in a single move. I didn't even get a good look at it before I opened my mouth and took him until he hit the back of my throat and then reached up and grabbed the rest of him.

" _Putain de merde_!" He groaned loudly, it echoed in the shower, and I felt a hand run along the side of my face to the back of my head, his fingers weaving through my wet hair. He started guiding my head back a little and then abruptly dropped my hair pulling completely away from me, "I'm sorry."

I felt a flash of annoyance and glared up at him. He was such a killjoy. "For fuck's sake Stellan, stop thinking!"

He balked at me for a moment and then seemed to reconcile with himself and smirked, "whatever you say birthday girl."

"Fucking finally," I grumbled, he moved back toward me and I snaked a hand up his abs to steady myself. He ran his palm across the side of my head again and this time grabbed up a fistful of my hair at the crown of my head and started guiding me back and forth. For the first time that night I was glad I was this high because he was big and I knew if I was sober I wouldn't be able to go that long. Right as my jaw started to hurt a little he abruptly dropped my hair backing away again and let out a charged breath. Once he steadied himself he reached down to pull me back up to my feet.

His palms quickly ran down my back and slipped over my ass, grabbing it in his hands as he pulled me close to him. I reached up on my tiptoes toward his mouth and he grabbed my ass harder and lifted me off the ground. I wrapped my hands around his neck, my legs around his waist, and crashed my mouth into his own. Then I felt my back slam into the glass wall of the shower. The whole thing vibrated with a gong and I broke our kiss to look into his face, both of us breathless and soaking wet. I gave him a little nod and he pressed me harder into the glass and then he slid his hands up onto my hips and muscled me up the slippery glass until he could guide me down his cock.

It was completely unlike the first time. As he slowly filled me all sorts of flutters and jolts of desire shot off across my body adding to the intensity I was already feeling. There wasn't any pain, there wasn't any hesitation, there was only the incredible feeling of fullness and the look of concentration on his face. I was sliding up and down the glass with each thrust and then he squeezed me to his chest, swung me wide and took the few steps to the shower bench. He lifted me completely off himself, sat down, turned me around in his hands, and then pulled me back down, sliding right back in.

I gasped and everything shuddered inside me, the edges of my orgasm forming already. The new position felt so good I pushed his hands off my hips and started making my own pace. Once I had a rhythm going his hands were everywhere: sliding up and down my back, grabbing my breasts to pull me down hard a few times, reaching up to my neck to pull me back toward him a bit and kiss my shoulders. Times stopped mattering, the details of the shower started to fade, I started to get lost in the moment, enjoying the building desire and then Stellan grabbed my hips and ground me to a stop in his lap.

"Jesus, Avery." He panted. I looked over my shoulder at him, flushed and disheveled.

"Why'd you stop?" I demanded. "I was close."

"I...umm…" he stammered, completely thrown, "sorry."

He dug his fingers into my hips and started moving me up again, but after a few moments of that I could tell it wasn't going to work, I'd lost the pace. I pushed his hands off and stood up only so I could turn around and straddle him on the bench. I hesitated, slightly above him on my knees and whispered,

"You okay?"

"Of course," he immediately answered without meeting my eyes. I ran my fingers across his cheeks and turned his face up toward mine locking eyes with him. I slowly lowered myself back down, watching with rapt attention as his eyes widened and his breath caught in his chest. When I was sitting in his lap I made a little circle with my hips and he groaned loudly, his eyes sliding closed. The sight of him, melting in my hands, relit the desire inside me. I wanted to hear him groan again, amazed my body could do that to him. I kept circling in his lap, feeling him harden inside me, but not really meeting the intensity on my own level. I had a flash of our first time and the little voice surfaced through my lust,

 _Make him beg for it._

The voice was right. Where was the fun in letting him have what he wanted when I wasn't even anywhere close. I lifted off of him, the sensation deeply satisfying until he was out and I felt empty inside.

"What," he looked up at me, eyes more black then blue and moved a hand down to try and slid himself back in.

"Not yet," I breathed and grabbed his hand to stop him.

 _Make him beg for it, he wants you to._

I nodded to the voice and pushed his hand toward my center, sliding his fingers in. I let out a long sighing breath and he cursed but complied. I felt his cock pulse against my thigh and he tried to pull his fingers out but I dug my thumb into his newly healing scar on his shoulder and growled,

"I said not yet."

He sucked in a shaky breath while complying and I looked down into his face in that moment, white and as vulnerable as it had looked the first morning after with each other.

 _Tell him. He needs to hear it._

The voice whispered and I let out a groan as the climax started to come for me again, his fingers working magic inside me. I released my thumb from his shoulder and his breath came out in a whoosh before his forehead fell to my chest.

"Avery," his husky accent echoed in the shower and I pulled his hair back to reveal his face to me - close to some breaking point. A wave of pleasure pulsed through me and then I realized why the voice had been urging me to do this, why he was so readily supplicating to my demands. He wanted to lose control. No - even better, he wanted to give someone control.

Every facet of his life was under strict control and careful consideration. He had to keep an eye on me, on Anya, on Elodie, Colette, Luc - even Jack. He had to watch out for the Saxons and now control the actual Order. He had to formulate plans on how to find an object missing for centuries that was either going to make him invincible or kill him on the spot. Everything in his life was controlled to ensure survival. Maybe this was the one place he could finally give it to someone else. And he had picked me. The voice broke through again,

 _Just say it already!_

"I want you to beg me for it." I ordered and his shoulders trembled as he let out another shaky breath. "Don't cum until I tell you to."

A strangled, desperate groan broke free from his throat and his fingers started moving faster. The edges of my orgasm started to form then and I slapped his hand away from me, lightly grabbed his dick and lowered myself back on, picking up the quick rhythm his fingers had been running. Everything on him shuddered and his hands slipped over my still wet hips attempting to wrap around them. I smacked his hands away and ordered,

"Not yet."

It kept building, like a hurricane, sucking all its power from his desperate sounds and trembling fingers. He attempted to wrap his fingers around my hips again, he swelled inside me, and I ran a firm hand across his still tender shoulder and chided,

"I didn't hear you ask."

" _Der'me, yebat', pozhaluysta_." It came out in a rush of Russian, thin and breathy. I rose off him a bit and then slammed down hard, taking him deep, and he actually let out a small cry as I commanded,

"English."

"Please, please, please," he kept desperately muttering against my chest and I took him deep again before stopping for the hint of a second to whisper into his ear,

"Okay, now."

His hands gripped onto my waist so hard that I felt them bruise and he picked me up a bit and then ground me into his lap, we both let out startled noises. Then he was lifting and pulling me up and down with his own arm strength fast enough to start a rhythm that echoed in the giant shower. Just pounding water and the rhythmic slap of my ass against his thighs. He hit that perfect spot inside me, once, twice, a third time and the floodgates of my orgasm broke free from inside my chest and destroyed everything in its path.

It rushed out in a wake from the pit of my stomach running down my nerves and muscles toward the crown of my head and the tips of my toes. Everything inside me hardened to a hollow point, I felt deliciously clear and empty of every other worry, every other issue washing away before it all shattered again in a flash of white. Then I was babbling, incoherently, as I rested my forehead onto the top of Stellan's head and continued to ride him through the never ending rippling sensations through my body.

He sucked in one breath, then another, and then a low building groan pushed out from his clenched teeth, echoing through the shower. He slammed me down a few more times, but each one was weaker as he lost all his strength to the orgasm. Finally he just wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me to him and alternated between shaky breaths and light kisses to my chest. My whole body shivered with satisfaction and I settled back down onto Stellan's lap his breathy kisses sliding over my collarbone and up my neck.

He was muttering something so low I couldn't make it out. I ran my fingers through his damp hair and whispered,

"What are you saying?"

He rose his head from my neck, our faces inches from each other, and he whispered back,

"Don't leave me."

"I'm not going anywhere." I leaned forward and kissed him deeply. We both shuddered from orgasam aftershocks and then his eyes widened and his face dropped into panic,

" _Merde!_ " He pulled me off of him, "are you on birth control?"

"Of course. The shot," I answered and stood up, nonplussed, and grabbed the bottle of soap above him in the alcove. I moved back into the hot water rinsing off my body. He deflated, letting his arms smack down onto the bench and his head clunk back against the shower wall. Through the water and the closed door I could still hear a collective laugh from my friends and wondered what it was about. Then I wondered if they could hear us as well. I turned back to ask Stellan only to find him asleep sitting up.

"Hey," I called out to him. He sucked in a huge, startled, breath his eyes flying open,

"What?" He shook his head and settled, "okay let's get out of here."

We both washed off and I even washed my hair with the citrus and bergamot smelling soap and then he turned the shower off and exited to find us towels.

I was appreciating the view as he toweled off, his back to me, and heard everyone laugh again outside. I crossed my arms over my chest and cocked my head to the side right as he turned toward me and caught me staring. Instead of feeling embarrassed I gave him the once over and watched with amazement as he hastily wrapped the towel around his hips, his neck turning red as he cleared his throat.

"Don't be embarrassed," I casually started and moved toward him dripping water all over the floor. I grabbed the towel from his outstretched hand and started drying my hair. "I'm not."

"Right now," he countered. "Nothing embarrasses you on Molly. The issue is that you remember most of it the next day."

"I hope I do. That was fucking amazing. I'm glad I listened to the voice." I started drying off my body by bending over at my hips and going from the ground up.

"What voice? You've been hallucinating this whole time as well?"

"Well, there was this sucker some girl gave me on the dance floor," I started and flipped my hair over to wrap it in the towel. "Jack thought it was acid."

I stood back up, my hair wrapped but my body exposed and he grabbed another towel and handed it over to me keeping direct eye contact.

"What did this voice tell you to do?"

"Drink water," I wrapped the towel around myself. "Make you beg." I smirked and moved toward him. He started blushing again, I reached between us to run my hand across the back of his neck. He stepped out of my touch and leaned down to grab a first aid kit from under the sink.

"I hope this voice tells you to hold still. I have a lot of first aid to do," he laughed and opened the door moving down the hallway toward the rooms.

I wandered after him watching as the lights blossomed with halos and the walls seemed to ripple as I passed. Above us was a giant skylight that went the length of the hallway letting in all the moonlight. We moved into a bedroom and he flipped on the lights to showcase a huge bed in the center of the room and all the luggage from our group stacked in the corner.

"Sit." He commanded and I fell backward onto the bed, the towel flopping off my hair, before shifting around to sit in the center of it. He tossed the first aid kit toward me and started digging through the luggage. I adjusted my remaining towel and then sucked in a shallow breath as I saw the red splotches I'd left behind on the white cotton.

I turned my palms over to see my right one was still bleeding from the puncture wound. That couldn't be good. Clothes landed on the bed next to me and I held my palm up toward him.

"Shouldn't I go to the doctor?"

"The doctor is coming here. You can wait a couple hours." He pulled some pajama pants on and tossed his towel aside. He grabbed my shirt off the bed and leaned forward to put it over my head for me. I slipped my hands through and then looked down to see a giant metallic crown popping out against the black fabric.

"Luc," I laughed and looked at the pajama pants that had a pattern of tiny crowns on them. Stellan crawled onto the bed, his back to the headboard and then leaned forward and pulled one of my feet toward him. I kicked my other foot out and leaned forward onto my legs examining them at the same time.

He nodded toward the first aid kit and I pushed it to him and then pulled my towel off to wrap it around my still bleeding palm.

"What's the prognosis doctor?" I joked and he looked up and yawned before breaking open the kit and carefully fixing my injured foot.

"I need to concentrate."

"Just put some band-aids on and let's be done with this." I leaned back onto my elbows and rose my eyebrow at him. He never looked up from my foot, but he smiled, and I fell back onto the bed with an exasperated sigh. It felt like an eternity until I felt him grab behind my knees and pull me toward him across the bed. When he let go I sat up with a start,

"Finally!"

"Give me your hand," he ignored me and reached across us to grab my unwrapped arm. I positioned my legs on either side of him and scooched a little closer as I turned my palm up. My skin started to tingle anywhere his warm fingers brushed against. Some of his hair fell into his eyes and I reached up to brush it out of the way only to smack him in the face with my towel covered hand.

"Sorry," I laughed. He shook his head, smiling, but kept working on my hand. "You're doing a really great job at ignoring your half naked girlfriend straddling your lap."

He dropped my hand, finished, and grabbed the other one giving me a stern look as he carefully unwrapped it.

"I think we've spilled enough blood in Luc's house for one night."

There was a slow building rumble of laughter just outside our room and I turned toward it as Stellan continued to work on my hand. I was still completely wound up. Now that the Molly was coming out of my system, instead of escalating, I just felt like the best version of myself rather than some ramped up party monster. Everything that made Stellan look so exhausted had only fueled my need to keep going, and if he wasn't going to fuck me again I wanted to still be part of the party.

He dropped my other palm and I heard his head let out a muffled thunk as he collapsed back against the headboard. I pushed all the first aid supplies aside, bandaids and bottles falling to the floor and climbed into his lap making a small circle with my hips. I looked up at him, biting my lip, hopeful.

"This is the problem with Molly," he smirked at me. "It makes women insatiable."

"You say that like it's a bad thing." I leaned forward and kissed him. He grabbed me around the waist, pulling me closer as he deepened the kiss and everything started buzz alive on me again. I felt it sparking and building between us when it abruptly stopped. He pulled back and lowly rumbled,

"I adore you." He smiled, a real smile. One where I could see his teeth, one where his eyes twinkled in the low light of the room. The love I felt for him burst open in my chest and I wished he could see it and understand how deeply I felt for him, because I still couldn't say the words. He kissed me again and then quickly picked me up to deposit me to the side of him, "but I'm exhausted."

"How could you be exhausted?" I complained as he slid down the bed and rolled onto his left side.

"Maybe it was the two mile sprint I had to carry you for." He yawned. I start tracing his starburst tattoo. "Or the hand to hand combat."

"You could have stolen a car right out the gate." I counter and slide closer so I could get a better look at all the scars on his shoulders and neck. I'd wanted to examine them closer since I first saw them but had always been too intimidated to.

"Oh," he yawned again. "And I was shot."

I traced all the thin iridescent lines on his skin and watched as a flash of goosebumps raced across him with a shiver, "am I hurting you?"

"No, my love." He whispered and took a deep breath. I smiled at his back and started kissing the edges of his scars. He'd never said that in English before, it was always in Russian. "I wish you could always be this honest and handsy with me."

I laughed and stopped short at his newly formed scar from the Saxon ambush. The thought rolled off my tongue before I could stop it, the Molly making me brutally honest in the come down,

"I wish I could think of you as just an average boyfriend. But you keep murdering people in front of me and I'm instantly reminded of how fucking terrifying you are."

He immediately turned around to face me, our faces so close our noses almost touched. The intense look in his eyes told me what he was going to say before he said it.

"Avery, I'd never hurt you."

"You don't know that." I said. When he tried to protest me I kissed him and then pulled back. "You don't know what's going to happen in that tomb. I could be some kind of blood sacrifice to gain your powers."

"Then I wouldn't do it." He quickly replied.

"Yes you would," I reached up between us to brush some hair off his forehead. "If it would protect Anya you would."

"She wouldn't be there." He pulled back a little so he could get a better look at me. "Why do you think I'd betray you like that?"

"Isn't that what everyone in the Circle does?" I traced the outline of his lips, his five o'clock shadow scratching against the tip of my finger.

"We are not the Circle."

"What are we then?" I countered my finger stopping to press into his lips. We both looked at each other for a long moment and then he kissed my finger and gently pulled it away.

"We are liberators. We are anarchists. We are royalty. We are in love."

"Yes." I smiled and pulled his face toward my chest, running my fingers through his hair. "Yes we are."

I continued to pet him as he slowly relaxed into me and then he let out a snore.

"Stellan?" I quietly asked, he snored again against my chest and I sighed. Right as I was about to give up and try to fall asleep too I heard laughter through the closed windows of our room out on the deck.

I had to be out there with them. It sounded like so much fun. I slowly slipped out from under Stellan making sure to cover him with the blanket at the end of the bed and quickly pulled on my pajama pants before I escaped the room into the hallway. I could already hear their conversation from the open sliding door panels out to the deck as I rounded the corner.

"It took us a an hour to find her in that crowd." Elodie started and then laughed a bit, "actually I found Jack being molested by some girl covered in confetti that turned out to be Avery."

"She broke the rule?!" Luc let out a large laugh.

"Poor Jackie is just standing there with his arms across his chest as Avery is stroking his face and hair." Elodie let out another small laugh and I heard some glasses clink down.

"You poor thing," Colette half consoled, half laughed. "That reminds me of three years ago when we were at that yacht…"

"No need to rehash that terrible night." Luc immediately cut over her and everyone started laughing. It was infectious and pulsing. I had to be closer to all this happiness. I couldn't stop myself from taking small step after small step toward them, no one noticing.

"Oh Letty," Elodie sighed. "I wish you could have seen Stellan squirming - he couldn't decide if he should be her Keeper or her boyfriend. It was _magnifique_."

I took another step, too intrigued by the gossiping to stop myself and knocked right into a table. The lamp swung and I heard them all shift trying to get a look. Colette called out,

"Anya? Is that you?"

I stepped into the doorway for the balcony taking in the whole scene. Empty bottles of wine, half drunk tumblers all over the glass tables. Colette in an overstuffed arm chair closest to the door with Luc opposite her in a matching chair. And then there was Elodie and Jack on opposite ends of the loveseat Jack's arm on the back of the couch and Elodie's arm stretching across it as well, her fingers tapping out a rhythm on his compass tattoo. It seemed so second nature to them I wondered if it was a holdover from when they dated.

"Your Majesty!" Luc exclaimed. I stuck my tongue out at him.

"Where's Stellan?" Colette looked around me for a moment, searching.

"Oh," I took a breath, "he just kind of passed out on me. I decided to let him sleep."

Luc let out a bark of laughter and then started clapping rising from his seat followed by Colette. Elodie was smiling and Jack looked off to the side but he didn't look upset. I rose an eyebrow at Luc and he exclaimed,

"We found her! The girl that finally exhausted Stellan Korolev."

I knew I should be super embarrassed or incredibly offended but instead I just shrugged and leaned against the doorjamb. Colette rolled back down into her chair but Luc made his way over toward me. He checked his watch and then grabbed my chin looking deep into my eyes,

"I think there's only about twenty minutes left on your dose. You want a kicker?"

"NO!" Elodie and Jack shouted at the same time and Luc rose his hands up toward his ears his wine sloshing in his glass.

"I think you've done enough for one night Lucian." Elodie darkly warned and Colette reached across the space and pulled me toward her.

"Let me braid your hair, _cherie_. It will feel amazing."

"Really?" I gave her a dubious look and she smiled,

"I know from experience."

I sat on the ground between her legs and she pulled my damp hair out of the sloppy ponytail I'd thrown it in. Her fingers touched my scalp and my eyes rolled toward the back of my head and slowly slid closed. I could feel every single hair on my head and each one was kissing my scalp. I knew they were still talking around me but all the voices buzzed away as I focused on Colette's fingers weaving through my hair, threading and folding. As she reached the base of my scalp she was even more gentle and my whole body shivered with pleasure and I melted against her legs. She wrapped my hair tie around the bottom of the braid and gave my shoulder a little squeeze before leaning back in her chair.

I just continued to sit, melted into the floor and slowly opened my eyes and looked around. Luc took a final big gulp of his wine and leaned back in his chair, his eyes heavy. Elodie was still tapping out a rhythm on Jack's tattoo, his fingers wrapped around her arm despite being completely passed out sitting up on the couch. I took in a big breath trying to hold onto this feeling of belonging.

I had spent my whole life purposefully never getting too close to anyone because it always failed. It always left a gaping hole in my chest. People move on, they grow up, they realize they have better things to do. Yet, right here in front of me were four people that would never run - had not run despite everything that had happened. Of course it was complicated, of course it was heated and infuriating at times, of course it was terrifying and life threatening - but here they were. The swelling of love that flowed through me overtook me for a fleeting moment and I prayed to every god in the universe that they could feel at least one tenth of the love I had for all of them. I bit my lip as I contemplated it and found myself meeting Elodie's eyes,

"I know." She nodded and looked around at everyone else, her eyes leaving Jack last. The wistful look in her eyes flashed only for a fraction of a moment - her fingers never stopped tapping on his compass.

"I don't want to alarm you," Colette lightly started, her volume and tone matching the mood perfectly. Her hands squeezed my shoulders, "but you are going to have a horrible day tomorrow."

"What do you mean?" I turned to look at her.

"The aftermath of taking that much...it's going to make you feel defeated and depressed for the entire day. Just try and sleep as much as you can."

"Can we afford to do that?" I looked at Colette first and then Elodie as Luc let out a snore from his armchair.

"Not much of a choice," Elodie yawned. "Besides, we could all use some down time."

"I guess you're right." I sighed. "Is there anything I can do to counter it?"

"Better to just let nature take its course." Elodie yawned again and then laid across the loveseat her head resting on Jack's leg. His arm slid down the couch to rest on her side, his fingers immediately wrapping around her hip. Colette stood behind me and then reached behind her chair to pull out a couple of blankets. She laid one across Jack, handed one to Elodie who pulled it around herself and then tucked Luc in.

"Wouldn't it be better to sleep in a bed?" I whispered to Colette as I stood, Elodie's eyes were already closed. Colette just shrugged and whispered back,

"I'm sure they'll all move to beds once they wake up with stiff necks." She paused and looked behind me for a moment.

"Avery," Stellan's voice rumbled in the quiet space, thick with sleep. I turned to see him, shirtless and soft looking, his hair a mess all over his head. " _Vozvrashchaysya v postel_."

I turned to look at Colette who shrugged unsure what he'd said. Must have been Russian. He rubbed a hand across the back of his neck and just the sight of him sent a wave of goosebumps all across my body. I couldn't stop staring, and Colette let out a small laugh in the back of her throat and elbowed me toward him. I shook myself back into the current moment and took one step, then another, his hand reached out and grabbed my own, the sparks starting to warm up, when everything abruptly stopped.

Suddenly I was cold, freezing actually. The house was dark and mirthless. My body ached in so many places I was afraid the next step would shatter me. The exhaustion pulsed through my blood making it feel sluggish in my veins. And then I felt it reform - the near constant knot of anxiety and anger and sadness. I could feel it pulling from all the corners of my soul wrapping, warping, twisting into a hard, heavy ball before resting right on top of my stomach. Stellan tugged but I didn't move and he turned around his sleepy face concerned.

"It stopped working, didn't it?" He murmured and leaned toward me, his bloodshot blue eyes searching my own.

I just nodded, it was all I could manage. He nodded back and slid his hand around my waist guiding me toward the room. Each step hurt, I could feel every cut and scrape from our half marathon run through the streets of Ibiza. We made it into the room and he dug through his bag for a moment, his arm still around me, before pulling out one of his sweatshirts. I quickly pulled it on over my clothes, and then we slid back into the bed. Despite the warm and humid temperature I shivered and he pulled all the comforters and sheets around me before wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me flush against his chest.

"It will be fine _kuklachka._ " He whispered into my ear and I shivered again. "You only feel like this for a day."

"But what if I don't?" I whispered back but he was already asleep again. I looked up at the ceiling and willed myself to go to sleep, but all I could see was morphing blobs of darkness. Instantly I remembered the acid sucker. My brain was still racing begging me to do anything to burn off this anxiety but my body was so exhausted I couldn't even move. So I did the only thing that had ever worked for me in the past - math. I started doubling from the number two. Once I hit 1,048,576 the sun had started to rise and I finally fell asleep.

* * *

A/N -

 **Chapter Soundtrack:**

How Deep Is Your Love - Calvin Harris & Disciples

This Is What You Came For - Calvin Harris ft. Rihanna

Ain't My Fault - Zara Larsson

Guys My Age - Hey Violet

Toothbrush - DNCE

Don't Let Me Down - The Chainsmokers ft. Daya


	13. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

I woke up to the sound of splashing and laughing, and for a moment I thought I was back in Tallahassee at that horrible apartment complex that used to be a motel. Every room faced out to the pool and you could hear children screaming and fighting in the water all hours of the day. My Mom had felt the need to apologize to me the entire year we were there for the noise, but honestly it hadn't bothered me. It was the incessantly buzzing mosquitoes that had made Florida such a rough year, that and being thirteen.

"Stellan look at me!" Anya yelled out followed by a big splash. There was a round of applause and I opened my eyes. The master bedroom had large sliding glass wall panels with matching white curtains that had all been opened and pulled back filling the room with light and ocean air. Despite all the sunshine the California King bed I was nestled in was still cloaked in shadows up against the far wall of the room. Everything was white: the walls, the tile flooring, the bedding, the dressers, the artwork. It made the pool and the view of the ocean reflect a much deeper blue. From my bed I could see one side of the pool and small waves and wakes were lapping up against the edge as Anya continued to show off for everyone.

"The doctor is here," Luc announced and I heard a chair scrape against the ground as someone got up and moved inside.

"Who needs a doctor?" Anya asked whomever was out there with her. She was met with a moment of silence before Colette brightly asked,

"Why don't you show me your dive again?"

Then it was quiet, a splash, clapping and then the door to my room opened. Luc immediately moved toward the sliding doors closing all but one of them, closing the curtains as well. I watched him fret about the room for another moment and finally looking at me and forcing a smile before exiting right as Stellan entered with a middle aged man and woman. They were all speaking in Castilian and I tried to hide, sinking deeper into my blanket and pillow fort. This visit was going to hurt. With barely any sleep and still feeling like moving would shatter me I had very little faith that I'd be able to hold back the tears.

"Avery what would you say your pain is at?" Stellan asked me and I shrugged, even that movement hurting, and croaked,

"Maybe a seven."

His eyes narrowed as he examined me closer and relayed the answer. The man and woman nodded and moved toward me. She brought a rolling suitcase onto the foot of the bed and started assembling an IV stand and then attaching bags and lines to it before snapping on a pair of latex gloves. The man kept speaking with Stellan, taking lots of notes and nodding. The woman confirmed she was finished setting up and pulled out what looked like a blood draw kit. I wanted to protest against it, I hated needles, but when I attempted to move every muscle on my body burned with pain. I bit my lip to stop the tears and felt it split open in my mouth from severe dehydration. The woman gave me a warm smile and then started pulling the blankets and pillows away from my arm. She pulled on the sleeve of Stellan's sweatshirt next gesturing and lowly commanded,

"You take off."

I nodded and with a small grunt of pain sat up and slid my arm out. It did not look promising. There were superficial cuts sneaking out from under all the makeshift bandaging Stellan had wrapped around my damaged palm. There was also a sizable bruise on my elbow from some point yesterday that I must have slammed it into something - or someone slammed me into something. If that was what one part of my body looked like I was scared to see the rest. The woman tied my arm off and started tapping and rubbing my inner elbow looking for a vein. The conversation between Stellan and the man broke off,

"Can you find one?" Stellan asked, his worried eyes pouring over me.

She answered him back, focusing on my arm.

"Is she that dehydrated?" Stellan pushed and the woman started nodding, staring at my arm, and then gently pressing against a vein as I felt my fingers start to go numb. She picked up her needle and I took in a deep breath and looked away feeling the pinch and sting, the release of the tourniquet, and a moment later a flood of ice going up and down my arm as the IV started. The woman taped me off and we both looked over at the two men.

The man gave some instructions, the woman nodded and then pulled out some scissors from her kit and began to cut off the bandages. Stellan and the man moved closer and when she pulled all the dressings back I let out a small gasp at my mangled palm. She gently set it down on the bed, turned to her kit, and pulled out two shots. The first one she shot directly into my IV line, the second she prepped, grabbed my wrist, holding it tight, and then locked eyes with me as she said something in Castilian. Stellan cleared his throat but I didn't look at him, all I could see was the enormous needle she was holding right next to my injury.

"It's a numbing agent for the stitches."

I nodded, she gripped my wrist tighter and stuck me. I flinched and tried not to move as the second and third ones went in. The tears started to roll down my cheeks right as the painkillers feed into my bloodstream. The man turned on an extra bright light, snapped on his own latex gloves and moved toward my hand as she stuck me a fifth time. I looked away, wiping at the tears and heard Anya laughing again outside in the pool. The misery overtook me instantly - I wanted my Mom.

The memories bubbled up from the dark hole in my chest where I'd pushed everything. The time I'd flown over my handlebars and knocked out a baby tooth. The time I'd tried to make her Mother's Day breakfast and sliced open a finger. The time I stumbled down a flight of stairs and sprained my ankle. Each memory painful because each time my Mom had been right there to take care of me. This was by far my worst set of injuries to date and I was alone. The loss of her swelled in my chest and I put my free hand over my mouth to try and stifle the sob.

The woman jabbed me again - thinking I was in pain and then I felt the bed move next to me. Stellan settled right up against my side, slid his arm around my waist, and started murmuring to me in Russian. I appreciated the gesture - but he wasn't going to help. I just kept sobbing into my hand until the painkillers kicked into high gear and I shut off, the dark separation from myself I'd felt in France started to spread over everything, the tears drying on my face. I felt dangerously empty inside, and watched with complete detachment as they slowly picked pieces of glass out of my hand.

* * *

Three hours, three IV bags and 18 total stitches later I felt Stellan start tucking me back under all the blankets again as he lowly conversed with the doctor and nurse. They started following him out of the room and I pulled the hood up on my jacket over my still tender skull despite feeling absolutely high off the painkillers. I could hear the front door close and then an immediate rush of questions. They were muffled through the walls but were slowly starting to becoming clearer as the group moved out toward the pool.

"So how long then?"

"At least 48 hours." Stellan answered. "I know that's not optimal but after what happened last night I think we can assume we'll be safe for that amount of time."

"That's not what I'm concerned about." Luc replied. "What did he say about her recovery?"

"He, well," Stellan stuttered and even I strained harder to hear what he was going to say next. He was uncharacteristically shaken, "if she doesn't turn the corner in 24 hours he said we should start to watch her."

His answer was met with a long moment of silence.

"We'll let's all try and make sure she does." Colette offered to halfhearted mutters from the group.

"The most important thing we can do right now is make her rest. No stimulus at all, no excitement, just sleeping and resting. It won't be that hard with the amount of painkillers in her." Stellan stressed next to them.

"Let's split up the time then." Colette offered and I pulled a pillow over my face, muffling out the rest of their conversation. The only thing worse then being this injured and depressed was having them babysit me through it.

* * *

I had, mercifully, been left alone into the afternoon and despite what Stellan had told everyone else I was way too bored not to be looking at my phone. At first I was just checking news headlines and gossip pages trying to see if the Saxons had released any more altered news reports about me - there wasn't. Then I tried to see if there were any news reports about all the people we'd murdered in Ibiza last night - again silence. It was very concerning to me that I felt nothing about that. I couldn't tell if it was coming down off all the drugs, being so high on the painkillers, or my depression. But, the fact that I ordered Elodie to stab someone, and Stellan had executed three people in front of me and I felt nothing about that one way or the other seemed like a giant red flag to me. Instead of investigating that line of thought further I decided to finally do what I'd been wanting to do since I'd ditched the prom in Minnesota and logged into my Instagram.

The door to the room cracked open but I ignored it. I wouldn't have a choice on if the person stayed or not so it didn't matter if I acknowledged them. My feed was filled with people posting graduation pictures, vacation plans, those horrible 'leave your answer in comments' ones. I checked my notifications and saw that I'd been tagged in over 200 photos. I also had 16 unread messages.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Luc said to my left and I ignored him and clicked on the first picture I'd been tagged in. Prom. So many prom pictures, but all of them seemed to be from far away. That was logical, I hadn't taken any pictures with Laura and all her friends that night. What was interesting was that people weren't posting the pictures to my feed in with some kind of prom tag. These were all pictures people were posting right after Takumi had been shot. There was one set of pictures and caption in particular that pretty much summed it up,

 _See! I swear to God that is both of them!_

It was a side by side of blurry Stellan and blurry Jack at the prom and then Jack at the Venice attack and Stellan at Cannes attack.

"Guess the people of Lakehaven weren't as stupid as I thought." I grumbled. Luc let out a snort of laughter and sat next to me on the bed. I ignored the rest of the pictures and went to the messages. The majority of them were from people I barely knew, old schools, old friends. But then I noticed the one from Laura. It was a series of them:

 _Avery what happened to you? You disappeared from the prom. See you on Monday I guess. You'll have to tell me in person._

 _Are you okay? You didn't answer my calls over the weekend and you aren't here today._

 _The police showed up at your house. What the hell happened to you?_

 _Avery I swear I just saw a picture of you with Colette LeGrand and Jack. I feel like I'm losing my mind here. Tell me what's going on._

 _Now I know that was you. Were you lying to me the whole time? Did you and Jack know each other the whole time? I guess that's why you moved so much._

 _The Cannes Film Festival?! And Stephanie Thompson swears that blond guy was the same one at prom. I guess you're not coming back._

"They always give up in the end." Luc sighed. I ignored him and immediately opened Google. "You won't like what you see."

"Shut up." I snapped at him and he settled back into the pillows, unfazed. I typed in my name and was instantly flooded with hits. There was a whole list of pictures and videos, there were news articles followed by gossip site articles and then websites. The list just kept growing the further down I scrolled. The headlines also started to change from actual news to clickbait.

 _Colette LeGrand's New Best Friend_

 _Avery West's Arm Candy_

 _Trouble in Paradise for West_

I rolled my eyes at it and started scrolling through the photos.

"The first time I Googled myself it was awful. It's never anything good. I once had dedicated an entire cardiac wing to a local hospital and the headline read - _Dauphin's Dedication Laced with Bribes?_ " Luc shrugged.

"So you stopped doing it?" I zoomed in on a picture of Stellan and I on the yacht in Greece.

"Of course not. You obviously know how vain I am." He retorted and I looked over at him for the first time. "I started a tradition instead. If it was a bad headline day I order the entire dessert menu from my favorite bistro and binge watched something on Netflix for the rest of the night."

I set my phone down and nodded, "I do that too. We moved so much the ritual was the only thing that connected me to the rest of the world. You can buy Sour Patch Kids and binge watch TV anywhere in the nation."

"So what was the last session you had?" Luc brightly asked and I turned back to the phone, his enthusiasm a little too much for me.

"It's embarrassing. I don't even think you guys would know it, the show is kind of old."

"Try me. I'm on a LOT of planes," he emphasized and waited. I clicked on a picture of Jack and I in Venice.

"The OC." I answered. Luc shook his head,

"Haven't heard of that one. Is it any good?"

"Kind of a subjective question don't you think?" I flicked to the next picture in the set, this one of Colette and I on the yacht.

"I'll have to add it to my list," Luc muttered, his enthusiasm fading. Through the darkness I felt a twinge of regret at how cold I was being to him, but whatever was making me feel this way didn't allow me to dwell on that for very long. Normally I would have tried to make him feel comfortable and happy, he was trying to be nice after all. Instead I just clicked on the next link, refusing to make eye contact and offered,

"I didn't even get to finish it. I was halfway through the last season before I left. I wouldn't even know how to access it now."

"I'm sure we can figure something out." He brightened again and the twinge of emotion sunk back down into the blackness. "Anything that will make you feel better."

I paused in my Googling and looked out toward the ocean. I'd been watching The OC with my Mom. We'd started it in New Orleans because the humidity had been so horrible all we wanted to do was stay in the air conditioning. Any time I'd had a bad day at school, and there were quite a few there, she wouldn't even say a word, just turn it on and sit on the couch. I'd curl up next to her and we'd watch at least three episodes at a time while eating candy and junk food. It was the only thing that could make the next day bearable. If everything was falling apart around me that small moment could normalize it all again.

"It's not that it would make me feel better." I said continuing to look out at the deep blue ocean reflecting the high afternoon sun. "It's that it'd make me feel normal."

"You are anything but normal, Avery." Luc countered and I closed my eyes. That was the last thing I wanted to hear. I settled back down into the pillows, pulling the hood up over my head, and tossed my phone toward Luc.

"You can leave. I'm going to sleep."

He let out a noise of protest but rose from the bed taking the phone with him. I rolled away from his retreating form and let the drugs drift me back to sleep.

* * *

I dreamt of blood. Of panic. Of shots fired and flashes of steel. I dreamt of being chased and being caught. I dreamt of falling through an endless blackness and woke up gasping for air and slapping around the blankets. I was covered in sweat and all the bandages were making me itchy. I sat up and immediately let out a groan, my palms and right foot igniting with white hot pain from the stitches. I tried to roll toward the side table that had my painkillers and saw Elodie. At first I thought she was some kind of mirage, there to torture me, because she was holding the water and pills just out of my reach.

"You have to eat something." She shook the bottle at me.

"Give me the pills." I grumbled.

"Eat the food and I will." She countered with a shrug and pocketed the pills so she could turn back to the table and hold out a plate of food to me. Everything on it looked gross and I glared at her. "Eat the bread."

"Why?" I snapped and managed to roll onto my back and looked up at the ceiling, my body still covered in a sheen of sweat.

"It's the very least you can eat in order to take the medication without throwing the pills back up. And keep Stellan off your case." She answered. I held out my hand, my jacket sleeve sliding up to reveal the new bandages and she passed me the bread and then rounded the bed to sit at the opposite foot.

"How many stitches?" She wondered aloud and I shoved the bread into my mouth, refusing to answer her. "Alright then."

She took out a pack of cards from her jacket pocket and started shuffling. I shoved the second piece of bread into my mouth and then cross my arms over my chest as she dealt them to both of us, face up. She arranged them in suit and then number order on each hand, set the rest of the deck above the two stacks and flipped over the first card.

"Do you know how to play gin?"

I shook my head. She nodded and then passed me the water and my pills. I quickly took the medication and shook some crumbs off the bed as I sat up a little.

"Just watch me play, see if you can pick it up. I used to do this with Stellan when we were still in the dorms. It kept his mind off of everything."

The irritated edge of my thoughts softened a little and I allowed myself to breath. I might feel dangerously dark apathy toward everything but at least it seemed to be lifting with each passing hour. Maybe I wouldn't be a completely lost cause. I watch Elodie play out two games before the quiet flicking of the cards and her, much appreciated, silence lulled me back to sleep.

* * *

The door opened and Jack ducked in, not making eye contact at first. He was the last person I was expecting to take a turn on my pseudo suicide watch. He quietly made his way over to the bed and sat on my side, close but careful to keep some distance. He ran his palms down his jean covered thighs and then looked over at me. It was the first time I'd noticed the large bruise on the side of his face. It would appear that both of us were recovering from the exchange at the museum. He rubbed at his now permanent five o'clock shadow absently and stared out the window for a moment, as if trying to gather his thoughts. The sun was starting to set against the horizon lighting the sky with deep pinks and yellows across the water. The breeze had already cooled a bit as it filled the room.

"So is that your new thing?" I broke the silence, already tired of people being around me.

"What thing?" He gave me a curious stare.

"The beard." I jutted my chin out toward him, remaining in my pillow fort. He shrugged and scratched at it again. "It looks good on you."

"Thank you." He gave a little half smile and then shook his head - resolved to say what he came in here to say. "Do you remember our fight?"

"We fought?" I flatly replied.

"I thought it might be lost to you. Yes we did. It's the reason you have a concussion. I'm sorry. I was distracted." He looked back out toward the window and let out another long breath.

"What was it about?" I shifted in the bed, pulling the zipper up further on Stellan's hoodie, the need to hide creeping up through the blackness again.

He turned and rose an eyebrow at me and I nodded understanding but unable to muster more of a response. "I just have to know one thing Avery, and then I swear I'll bury this."

I nodded for him to continue.

"When I was just a guy at your school. And you were just a girl at your school. Would you have chosen me then?"

My mind flashed back to Minnesota, my one friend, my mostly packed room, my sketch of Jack's tattoo - it felt like some kind of alternate reality at this point. The normalcy of it foreign now. He fidgeted in the silence and I sat up a little in my pillow fort,

"I did choose you. I chose you then. I kept choosing you up until," I stopped and we looked at each other. I could lie to spare his feelings, but then we'd be right back into the same pattern that left us screaming at each other.

"Cannes?" He asked but was already tensing, ready for the real answer.

"Greece." I answered and he closed his eyes and sucked in a breath through his nose. "Stellan and I didn't do anything until after the two of us broke up in Cannes. But that was the moment it shifted."

He nodded, his jaw clenching. He swallowed hard a few times and said in a gravelly voice,

"When the Saxons were parading you around to all the Circle families like some prize - the only thing that helped me keep it together was knowing it wasn't going to work. That's why I think I always knew we could never last. Maybe you weren't destined to be with me - but at least I knew that Stellan liked you for who you were."

"You sure there wasn't even a small part of him that wanted my power?" I questioned, knowing full and well Stellan had already told me he had.

"Maybe," he stretched his shoulders out for a moment and shifted so we were face to face. "But I've known him for a very long time - and he never looked at any of those other girls the way he looks at you."

"Thank you?" I questioned and slunk back into the pillows. Jack laughed a little,

"It's a compliment." The smile fell off his face and we both grew quiet. Finally he locked those stormy gray eyes on me and said, "I really did ask just you to prom. That wasn't a lie. I wasn't being honest about who I really was, but the feelings were real."

"That's the problem Jack." I sighed and then fidgeting with the blankets and pillows. "There were so many points where you could have been honest with me, but you kept choosing the lie. You keep trying to push me back into the memory of when I was a nobody. But that girl was gone the moment I got on that plane. That girl died with my mother." I stopped, the realization hitting me. "I don't even know where my mother is buried."

"Luc took care of that." He hastily cut in. "He knows. We just didn't want to overwhelm you and then…" he gestured toward me.

"Thank you." I whispered and pulled the covers back up around myself suddenly feeling cold. "Was that it?"

"I'm sorry. I am truly sorry. Maybe you can never trust me again, I'd understand that." He looked down at the comforter. If I was feeling better I probably would have reassured him, but the darkness swallowed that response as well. I stretched out my legs a little more under the sea of covers lamenting,

"I think we've established the problem between us is that I just keep trusting you. So maybe try not to lie anymore."

"Then you should know that much Molly, and acid, and a concussion basically threw off all your brain chemistry ensuring a deep depression." He quickly offered and then looked at me and shrugged. "No one wants to talk about it in front of you but that's what the doctor told us."

"You think I haven't noticed the suicide watch?" I grumbled and sunk deeper into the pillows.

He let out a laugh and grabbed my blanket covered foot, "I'll always be here for you Avery. No matter what."

"I know." I nodded and closed my eyes for a moment, the throbbing headache coming back. "So it's your watch now? Sorry to be antisocial but I'm going back to sleep."

"Fine by me. I could use some quiet." He stood and pulled up the armchair next to the dresser over to the bed and propped his feet up on the frame before slinking down. He looked over at me, "If you feel better, I'll teach you how to use the gun tomorrow."

"Really?" I peeked up over my blankets.

"Think of it as a belated birthday present." The hint of a smile turned the corner of his mouth up.

"So you did know it was my birthday." I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Of course I did." He smirked and closed his eyes. "But I wasn't about to give Stellan a freebie in case he forgot."

"He didn't." I replied and peeked over the blankets again to see him nod, his eyes still closed.

"He forgets nothing." He drew out the last word his voice rumbling. "If I could give you one piece of advice about him it's be that."

"And why is this a problem?" I questioned and then broke off to yawn. I sunk further into the bed and closed my eyes.

"You'll see. Just give it a couple more months, then you'll be just as annoyed as the rest of us. It used to drive Elodie insane." He laughed a little and then started in on a story. His voice started to dip out in my mind as I quickly fell asleep.

* * *

The next time I woke up the room was dark, all of the sliding doors had been closed, and I had to use the bathroom. I thought about asking someone to help me, I was nervous about stepping down onto my battered feet, but the idea of even having Stellan help me darkened my mood so much I clenched my teeth and went for it on my own. When I managed to get back under the covers I was panting and regretted having a jacket on - but I didn't want everyone to see just how injured I was. If I even rolled up the sleeves you could see the angry red marks on my wrists from where the zip ties had cut into my skin. I was a mess, and having everyone be able to confirm my body was just as broken as my mind was not something I had the ability to handle at the moment.

Before I was even able to catch my breath Colette cracked open the door and peeked her head in. Her surprised look quickly turned into a smile and she moved into the room and closed the door behind her. She scooted across the bed until she was sitting in the middle, facing me, and set down what sounded like a bag of glass. She quickly opened it and leaned it toward me showcasing every color imaginable of nail polish. Her perfectly manicured fingers started picking through all the shining bottles until she landed on a deep red. She pulled it out and held it out to me,

"Femme Fatale." She smiled. "What do you think?"

I looked down at my battered hands. My nails were chipped and broken on four fingers, superficial cuts on two other ones. I curled them into my palms, embarrassed, but Colette just pulled out some nail clippers and a file. She held out her hand and I placed my right hand into her own. She started expertly cutting the nails to the same length and then started to file them all.

"When I first started my career," she concentrated on my thumb, her warm hands holding my own with gentle pressure, "there was a lot of down time. When you are doing single line parts, or even non-speaking parts it's just you and all the other extras in a holding room waiting for your scene. You have to pick up some hobbies or you go mad."

"I know the feeling. I know more useless hobbies than anyone else I've ever met." I said as she briefly filed my pointer finger.

"We'll have to exchange notes." She smiled, moving on to my middle finger. "I excelled at one hobby in particular - nails. Something about it was so meditative to me that I'd just lose myself in it and the entire day would have passed when I'd look up. Some days I didn't know if they had actually called me up to the set or not because I'd been concentrating so hard."

She finished off the last two fingers and started with the base coat, careful to stay away from the bandage on the palm of my hand covering the stitches. I watched her in complete silence as she finished the pinky finger and gently blew on all my nails.

"I think it made the loneliness easier." She broke the silence and started shaking the bottle of Femme Fatale nail polish. "It's the worst kept secret of the industry of course, that you feel so isolated. But it was doubly so for me because I am also Circle."

I wanted to say something to her, anything to her, but all the words choked off in my dry throat. We just sat in silence as she continued to carefully paint each finger red. When she finished the first coat she started blowing on them again and then looked up at me for a moment, a sad smile crossing her face. She started on the second coat,

"That all changed, of course, when I met Liam." She concentrated on my pointer finger careful to make sure the second coat went on smoothly. "He came up to me at an Oscar afterparty, touched my tattoo, and whispered in my ear that his was better hidden if I wanted to look for it."

A small smile tried to push up through the darkness in my chest and I tried to help it surface but it just hung there, unable to break free. Colette started on my middle finger, unperturbed by my silence,

"After that I didn't want to do nails anymore. I didn't need to be distracted anymore. I was so alive I wanted to feel every moment with him. I suppose I still do."

She moved on to the ring finger and the shock caught in my chest making me take a shaky breath. So much had happened so quickly that Liam being murdered by Lydia and Cole seemed like years ago, not just a couple months. Despite that there hadn't been a single day that Colette wasn't helping in some way and that realization made me feel even worse about how much of a burden I continued to be to the group.

"I'm sorry Colette." I whispered. She paused as she finished my pinkey finger and then lightly blew on all my nails before taking a breath.

"I think, right now, the most important thing you could do is remember your role in all this, Avery. If you can do that no one will have died in vain. No one will have suffered needlessly."

She still didn't make eye contact with me, instead she fished around inside her bag before pulling out a top coat and quickly moving it across all my fingers. I swallowed hard, half anguished half worried about what she was trying to say.

"And what's that? To marry Stellan and open the tomb?"

Colette blew on the top coat looking up at me, and tucked a lock of her auburn hair behind her ear before evenly answering,

"To be Queen."

"To be a ruler with Stellan." I corrected and she shook her head and gently grabbed my other hand examining my battered nails before getting to work on those as well.

"Make no mistake, Stellan will be many things to you." She started as she quickly filed all my broken nails until they were even. "He'll be your fiercest protector. Your closest council. He'll be your best friend. The father of your children."

I froze and stared intensely at her bowed head as she quickly ran a bottom coat across all my nails. When she was done she dropped my hand and looked up at me, rising an eyebrow as she tapped the nail polish bottle against the palm of her hand. As she held the silence I tried to push away the out of focus flashes of my destined future. Flashes of ornate desks piled with paperwork and surrounded by tired looking Circle members. Of fuzzy beaches where we sat on white lawn chairs watching Anya in the surf. Of a blue eyed brunet and a purple eyed blonde running through a living room to wrap their little arms around Stellan's legs.

"But Avery, the Circle was waiting for you. The Circle expects you to lead them. And now you are also a Queen."

"Colette…" I whispered, hoarse, unable to piece together all my panicked thoughts at what she'd said. She quickly put the first coat of nail polish on each finger and then looked back up at me as she blew on the nails.

"Stellan is a good man. It has been adorable to watch him get flustered trying to please you. But don't willingly give him your power. Don't let him alter your destiny. Use him as the invincible tool he is destined to be to exact your rein."

"My rein or my revenge?" I questioned and she gave me a small smile before looking back down at my nails and putting on the second coat.

"Those don't have to be mutually exclusive." She answered and blew on my nails giving me a measured look.

"You really think if we find the tomb it would be me that held all the power over the Circle?" I asked as she finished blowing on my fingers and grabbed the top coat.

"I have been told that my entire life. Remember that they were desperate to marry one of their sons to you, not one of their indentured servants." She answered and finished the top coat on my pinkie finger with a flourish. My stomach, empty and tender from all the pain meds, flipped with anger as I thought about it. First about the Saxon world tour that had left so many dead. Second as I realized that was exactly what Jack, Elodie and Stellan had been.

She twisted the cap back on, tossing it into her bag with all her other supplies before grabbing both my hands and gently blowing on my still drying nails.

"Whatever is in that tomb is supposed to make him invincible. Invincible." I punctuated.

"We have no idea what that is going to actually mean." She continued to blow on my nails as she examined her job. "No one knew it was your blood that needed to combine."

"Everything in the mandate said it would turn him into a weapon." I countered and looked down at my nails, deep red.

"And a weapon is only as good as it's fighter. He might be the sword but you are the wielder." She casually replied and turned my hands over in her own looking at the bandages. "He told me how injured you are."

I bowed my head and closed my eyes. "Not as bad as what everyone else has suffered through."

"He's not worried about some stitches, Avery." She quietly replied.

I looked up at her, holding her gaze but unable to react. I wanted to cry, sob actually, because I was worried about that too. But the darkness I felt, the smothering black that kept snuffing out everything but apathy, wouldn't let me cry.

"You all said I'd feel better by now. But I don't feel anything."

"Maybe you do. It's just that you don't want to." She turned my hands back over. "Maybe if you let yourself feel it you think you might never stop crying."

Her voice cracked on her last word and the swirling mess of awful that I had buried back in Cannes started to force its way toward the surface again. I swallowed hard and pushed it back down before grabbing her hands in my own and giving them a squeeze.

"And we don't have time to cry." I finished. She locked eyes with me then and I held tighter onto her hands. We both started nodding at each other and then took some shaky breaths.

"How bad is it, Avery? You have to tell someone so we know what we're up against."

"It's hard to explain. I keep trying to feel something but it's just this blackness," I started and stopped, swallowing hard against the knot in my throat. "But now there are theses flashes of emotion that are so intense I don't know if I can handle them."

"Don't battle them on your own. Let someone else help you."

"Who?" I shook my head at her and she gave me a knowing look. "Fine. How?"

"Tell him what you need and I guarantee he will find it for you, or give it to you." She countered.

"I just," I started and stopped. All of my dark worry and boiling anger mixed with gut wrenching embarrassment, making me turn bright red. "It's not just this depression."

"What else," she started and then took one look at my flushed face and held up a hand nodding.

"I can't even look him in the eyes right now, after everything that happened last night."

At every point during the day that Stellan had come into the room I had pretended to be asleep. It was the easiest and the hardest thing to do. I was desperate for him, how calm he made me feel, the closeness we had been building, his ability to just be there, next to me, without expecting anything in return. But then I'd have a flash of the shower and shut my eyes tight.

"Molly makes you do…" Colette trailed off, searching for the words. "Well, it's always memorable."

"Memorable is an understatement. I don't know who that girl was, but it wasn't me." I countered and looked down at my nails again as I felt my whole body flush.

"I'd like to tell you that it was always there inside you," Colette stopped and gave me an apologetic smile, "but it was totally the drugs."

"Oh god," I put my hands over my face and let out a low groan of embarrassment.

"Your nails!" She pulled my hands off my face and started blowing on them again. "Look, if you both had fun why should it matter?"

"Because I'd never done anything like that before! Because this whole relationship is happening backwards! Because it's just one more thing for everyone to tease me about." I snatched my hands away from her, not wanting to be touched at the moment.

"I could start spilling secrets about everyone else if you wanted." She offered.

"No!" I stopped her. I took a deep breath and tried to center myself, but all I could feel was the throbbing embarrassment. "You know, if my life was still normal, this would be the point where we would move. We always moved when it got interesting."

"That's no way to live your life. How could you ever find closure if you never have to face everything that torments you?" She gave me a sympathetic look.

Something started fluttering in the bottom of my chest, making my stomach turn a bit with nervous energy. She was right. Everything was awful, messy, embarrassing, infuriating at the moment but that bubble of nervousness forming through the darkness had nothing to do with a wild night in a shower. There would be closure this time. We would find the tomb. I would avenge all those that had lost so much. I would rule the Circle like I was destined to. Closure. We were so close now.

The door cracked open and Stellan slipped in holding a tablet. His eyes fell over me, surprised, and then he swallowed hard and moved toward the bed.

"I couldn't find that candy - it is an island after all." He started and I looked at him, confused. He moved up to the opposite side of the bed and looked down at the tablet in his hand for a moment.

"What?" I croaked, still feeling raw and exposed from my confessional with Colette.

"Is this your show?" He flipped the tablet around, the first three bars of the theme music hit my ears and I burst into tears. "Are those good tears or bad tears - I can't tell." He asked Colette.

"Good," I sobbed into my hands and felt Colette move off the bed. Stellan tossed the tablet onto the comforter and climbed into her spot. He picked it back up and paused it,

"Do you want me to turn it off?"

"No," I sniffled and tried to compose myself. "How did you even find it?"

"Luc told me. I made some calls." He shrugged and then leaned toward me and wiped a tear off my face with his thumb. "You want me to leave?"

"No," I quickly reached across the space between us and grabbed his arm. He smiled and moved toward me until I could snuggle down against his side in the mountain of pillows and blankets. As I heard the door click shut, leaving us alone, he rearranged some pillows until he could prop up the tablet on our laps and pressed play. The opening credits finished up and moved right into the episode. "You even got the season right."

"So this is what you wanted? Candy and some American TV show?" He dubiously asked. "That was easy."

"No, I wanted this." I leaned my head on his chest and sighed. "I wanted to feel normal, just for a moment. I wanted to be able to pretend it was my room, in my house, with my boyfriend, watching my horrible show."

"So what you're really saying is that I don't have to pay attention." He joked and I felt like I could cry again, I bit my lip to stop the tears and nodded against his chest. His fingers started running over my braids, then down my back, over and over. It was perfect. The perfect fantasy of what I'd always wanted. If I closed my eyes I could pretend my Mom was in the kitchen cooking dinner for the three of us - and so I closed them.

* * *

A/N - As always a huge thank you to all my editors for continuing to read this story in their spare time. Like we all have any. LOL And to the two people that have reviewed the story that don't ACTUALLY know me - THANK YOU! It restored my faith in fandom as a whole. Please PM me if you want to chat further.

 **Chapter Soundtrack:**

The Greatest - Sia

Let Me Love You - DJ Snake ft. Justin Bieber

Love Me Now - John Legend


	14. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

"I already told you once. Leave Avery alone." Stellan's voice reached my sleepy mind and I cracked open an eye.

It was morning, I was alone and sprawled across the bed, Stellan's sweatshirt bunching around my middle. My palm and my foot were still throbbing with pain but I felt a little better. The last thing I remembered was Stellan lowly asking me questions as we watched the The OC before I must have drifted off to sleep.

From the other side of the door I heard Anya grumble something in Russian before Stellan replied back in English,

"I could find plenty to punish you with. There's a whole kitchen that needs cleaning."

The hallway got quiet and I sat up, trying to rearrange the mass of blankets when the handle on my door slowly started to turn. The door crept open inch by inch until a set of blue eyes landed on mine, Anya's face pulled into a moment of shock.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"It's okay," I replied. I wanted to smile, reassure her, but it just wasn't in me yet. I still couldn't find that kind of reaction - everything was murky.

"Please don't tell Stellan." She whispered, pleading. I shook my head,

"I won't."

Anya stood in the doorway for a moment, contemplating, before she took a big, brave, breath and slid into the room, closing the door. I rose an eyebrow at her and she pressed her mouth closed for a moment before quickly asking,

"Are you sick?"

"Sort of." I answered and started pushing up one of the baggy sleeves, careful to keep my injuries covered in front of her.

"Are you contagious?"

"Nope." I pushed up the other one and moved to put a hand through my hair when I remembered that it was still braided from before. That felt so far away right now, like it happened to another person, someone I'd never be able to find again.

"Everyone stops talking about the party you went to when I come into the room. What happened?" She took a step toward me. I contemplated this for a moment and then decided to err on the side of caution,

"You should ask Stellan."

She took another step toward the bed, "but he won't tell me."

I just shrugged as if to say _too bad then_ , it made my shoulder throb with the motion. Her eyes poured over me before she took another step.

"Your hair looks pretty like that. You can see all the pink." She pointed to my braids and I touched them before attempting a smile again - it didn't come. I desperately didn't want to mess this up. But I also didn't know if I had it in me to be as responsive to her as I should be.

"Thank you." I tried to sound kind. She made it to the bed and ran her fingers across the comforter a couple times continuing to look down as she asked,

"Something bad happened though. The doctor came. Everyone keeps whispering about you."

I felt a warning go off inside me - this was a dangerous line of questioning. I knew Stellan wanted to keep her in the dark, but absolute darkness had not worked in my favor in the end. It hadn't exactly worked for Stellan either. I quietly asked her,

"You have a bunch of questions for me, don't you?"

Her head snapped up to look at me, her blonde hair swinging over the translucent scars on the right side of her face as her bright eyes widened with hope.

"Just a few."

I patted the bed next to me and she scrambled up, keeping some distance between us before settling.

"I don't think I can answer everything. You really should ask your…" I stopped. Brother didn't seem right. Stellan _was_ her brother but he was so much more to her, especially now. Guardian? No, that seemed so sterile. I looked at Anya again as she waited for me to finish. "Stellan."

"That's fine." She quickly replied. "What's wrong with you?"

"I got hurt. But I'm better now." I leaned back against the headboard and pushed some pillows out of the way.

"How did you get hurt?" She specified and then held her breath.

"Do you remember what I told you on the plane?" I waited until she nodded. "Well, we are still in danger. But everyone protected me, just like they'll protect you." I carefully answered.

"Are you going to marry my brother?" She clasped her hands in front of her, waiting. "They keep whispering about that too."

"Yes." I simply answered. Her hands flew to her face, she was almost thrumming with excitement and since I couldn't match that kind of enthusiasm I tried to remain calm.

"Because you love each other?"

That was a loaded question. I took a breath, trying to stall so I could formulate my answer, when the door swung open.

Stellan filled the doorjamb, dark shirt, dark jeans, his hair gleaming in the sunlight and landed some seriously annoyed eyes on Anya.

" _YA skazal vam ne priyti syuda._ " He scolded her and Anya deflated in front of me. An idea started to percolate up through all my mixed emotions and I looked at Anya for a moment before looking up at Stellan.

"She can stay."

Anya clenched her fists in excitement but didn't move at all anticipating his no.

"You need to rest, Avery." He scolded me next and I just waved him off. Anya knuckles went white as she continued to freeze in front of me.

"I'm fine. I want her to stay."

He looked between the two of us for a moment, contemplating. I rose a challenging eyebrow at him and he let out an exasperated huff and closed the door. Anya's face lit up like Christmas morning,

"Thank you!"

"Let's make a deal," I started and gingerly stretched out my battered body. "I'll answer all your questions. Well, almost all your questions, in exchange for something from you."

"Anything!" She quickly answered and jumped a bit on the bed. I felt the smile build in my chest. It never made it to my face but a wave of relief filled me, I was getting better. It may take longer than we had time for but I wouldn't alway feel like this. I turned my attention back to Anya,

"How do you say shut up in Russian?"

" _Zatknis'._ " She quickly answered.

"Woah, woah, slow down, say it again." I tried to wrap my brain around what letters were even in that word.

"How did you meet my brother?" She countered. Ah, so she wanted answers on literally everything. I wondered for a moment if I should tell her the truth or something vague but satisfying.

"At a dance." I carefully answered.

" _Zatknis'._ " She said much slower this time and I nodded for her to continue. "In France?"

"In America." I answered. "How do you say maybe?"

"Where in America? Why was he in America?" She quickly countered and I shook my finger at her. She narrowed her eyes for a moment and then quickly retorted, " _mozhet byt'_."

"Minnesota. He was looking for me." I answered her questions and thought of what would be the next best phrase to learn. "How do you say help me?"

" _Pomogi mne_." She distractedly answered and then cocked her head to the side looking at me strangely. "What's so special about you?"

"That," I paused and looked out at the horizon, "is a very good question, Anya."

" _Ya tebya lyublyu_." She quietly said, breaking my contemplation.

"What's that mean?" I looked over at her.

"I love you." She smiled at me, "has he said that to you?"

I met her eyes and wanted to smile back, I felt it just under the surface of my skin but all I could manage to do was press my lips together for a moment, "in so many words."

"But not those words." She pushed and I nodded. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked away, seeming annoyed, when the door swung open again.

"Party's over," Stellan announced and strode into the room, the doctor and nurse from yesterday right behind him. Stellan pointed toward the open door and she quickly slid off the bed without another glance at either of us. I leaned forward on the bed to watch her round the corner,

"She's too smart for her own good." I commented to Stellan. He looked toward the door and then shrugged,

"She better be for the amount of money I paid for her schooling."

The doctor and nurse were already pulling off my bandaging but I couldn't take my eyes off of him, still shocked at what he'd said.

"You paid for all her schooling, not the Circle?"

He looked back at me, nodding, "if we're going to split hair's Luc paid for all her schooling."

"You know what I mean," I countered. He opened his mouth, most likely to say something snarky from the look on his face, but then just as suddenly smiled, crossed his arms over his chest and nodded. It all started to piece together for me in that moment. Why he was so protective of her, why he'd called her every day, spent his birthdays with her, paid for a private school. She might still call him her brother but that's not how he saw himself, those were things a parent did. And the fact that he'd probably been doing that since he'd joined the Circle made all sorts of feelings battle against the blackness in my chest.

 _Ya tebya lyublyu,_ I thought and felt the smile ascend to the surface causing the side of my mouth to rise just a little. His eyes widened with surprise as he smiled back, and I wondered if he was thinking the same thing. Then just as suddenly there was a jab of pain at my hand and I sucked in a breath and tried pull my arm away,

"Ouch!" I yelled and looked down expecting to see blood. The doctor said something in soft Castilian and Stellan dropped his arms and moved closer to the bed interpreting the instruction,

"Hold still."

I gave him a patronizing look. He laughed and quickly replied, "the fact that you are giving me the dirtiest look ever is a great sign."

I took a breath to snap back at him but the next poke to my hand made me bite my lip to stop from yelling out and I squeezed my eyes shut.

* * *

After the doctor's visit where I'd been medically cleared I'd changed into a flowy shirt, sheer asymmetrical jacket and maxi skirt that I was sure clashed horribly. I didn't really care, the fact that I wanted to wear anything other than pj's and Stellan's jacket was a good sign to me. I had moved out onto the covered patio right outside my room, the chairs only a few feet away from the edge of the pool, and collapsed onto a chair. It only took Anya a couple minutes to realize I'd left the bed and she'd dived into the pool, showing off, before swimming up to my side. I clapped, careful to keep everything covered and she'd started right back into her questions and Russian lessons with me.

I'd watched as every other person in the group had come out onto the deck to see who Anya was talking to and then immediately turn back around. I still hadn't figured out if it was because they'd been ordered to or because they didn't want the hassle of dealing with me. At least Anya didn't seem to mind my long moments of silence.

"Now you tell me something," I put a hand over my eyes to shield them as I looked into the sun at Anya. She jumped into the pool, sinking to the bottom and then quickly resurfacing right to the edge where my padded lounge chair was.

"What do you mean?" She pushed up to sit on the edge of the pool.

"How are you feeling about all this?" I asked and leaned onto the edge of the lounge chair to get closer to her. She frowned and then looked up at me with serious eyes,

"It has been very fun to see all these new places. I like being around Stellan so much. And I got to meet Luc." She pulled at the strap on her swimsuit, looking away. "But it's pretty scary."

"What part?" I pushed and gingerly stretched out my stiff shoulder. She slipped down the edge and slithered into the pool. I shrugged, appreciating her technique at avoidance. She resurfaced, her eyes and nose hanging just above the water and darted a glance toward the other section of deck. I leaned onto my knees to get a good look at the couches and armchairs to see Jack pacing a slow circle around the furniture, talking on his phone. "Jack?"

Anya nodded and slipped back under the water. I watched him for another moment and he turned and looked over at me. He hung up and with a small nod moved back into the house. I looked over to see Anya watch his every move and then blow some bubbles of relief into the water before swimming out toward the shallow end.

"He always looks mad." She called out to me from the other end of the pool and I waved her over as I started to pull out my braids.

"Maybe it's because he's British." I joked and she gave me a strange look and then shook her head.

"I think his beard itches him too much."

I laughed as I finished pulling out the last of my braids. Anya's eyes flew open and my hands covered my mouth, both of us surprised by my reaction. She hung on the edge of the pool again waiting for me to say something.

"I think Elodie is the really scary one." I countered and she pushed out onto her back, floating in the water as she let out a giggle of her own.

"That's why Stellan likes you so much, you're funny." She called out to me and I looked out toward the edge of the property seeing a low, white, travertine wall that ran the length of the property line. Someone called out to Anya from inside the house and she exited the pool without another glance back at me.

I pushed to stand and sucked in a breath of pain as I put my weight onto my feet and then reached toward a padded deck chair and pulled it with me across the deck toward the wall. I sat down with a sigh and propped my feet up on the wall, looking out at the view. Despite the discomfort of walking this far, having the sun beat down onto me felt amazing. We were on the side of a cliff, the only thing below us was craggy rocks and roaring ocean waves. The houses to the left and the right of us were so far away that I couldn't tell if there were actually people on the patios. I was instantly transported back to Los Angeles and the endless summer that had given me the best tan of my life.

Los Angeles had been my first co-ed party. My first kiss. My first boyfriend. It had been hand holding, pecks on the cheek in between classes, texts all through the night and all weekend long. Then, just as suddenly, it was distancing, awkwardness, avoidance and heartbreak. Followed immediately by the move to Florida. For the longest time I had loathed the internal compass inside me that had always stopped his hands, pulled away from the deepening of his kisses, had ultimately turned his head in another direction. It had only taken a few weeks in Florida to realize I was the one that had been wronged - feeling pressured to do more than I was ready for. But by the time I realized that I was already on the other side of the country.

I had vowed I'd never let anyone make me feel pressured to do anything ever again. But that incessant, pulsing, desperate need to feel included continued to compromise that promise. It had been the quick fondling in a coat closet at Rebecca Bass' 13th birthday party, the three week relationship that had quickly escalated to hand jobs at 14, walking for two miles back home when I'd given my boyfriend head but not sex at 15. By the time I'd made it to Minnesota and made my "no attachment" rule it had been more to do with ensuring I didn't compromise again than losing another group of friends. Even Jack, with all his patience and restraint, had pushed the line of pressure with me. With the possessive and demanding need in his kisses, his fingers attempting to slip under my underwear until I told him to stop.

Stellan had been the only one that had respected my permission. That continued to ask for it - despite everything growing between us. Everything that had happened in France, everything that had happened here in Spain had all hinged on my permission. He never made me feel like I had to compromise what I wanted to make him happy. I never felt pressure with him - so what was my problem now?

A breeze picked up from below us and blew my hair all over the place. Right as I had it all gathered again another gust of wind hit me and this time the pressure of it against the side of my head made my ear start to ring. I let my hair go to stick my finger in my ear, that only made the ringing worse - it was this high pitched frequency that ebbed and flowed and I closed my eyes trying to figure out what to do.

Warm fingers wrapped around my wrist pulling my finger out of my ear and I looked up to see Stellan sitting on the wall next to my feet. He leaned forward and cupped his hand over my ear, the wind picked up and blew through his hand like the sound of the ocean and the buzz in my ear slowly faded away.

"Tinnitus. White noise helps," he said and I reached up to pull his hand away as the ringing stopped. I dropped his hand and he looked down at the loss of contact and then back up at me trying to hide his disappointment. If it had only been a few weeks ago I wouldn't have been able to catch it, but I saw it flutter across his mouth as he forced himself not to frown. He recovered quickly enough and put both his hands on the wall for balance and leaned back to look at me.

"Did you tell everyone to leave me alone?" I crossed my arms over my chest and tried not to make direct eye contact with him. Being this close and face to face was making me remember and the flush of embarrassment started to rise in my chest.

"Maybe it was that hideous outfit." He drawled.

"I'm just doing my part to keep Anya in the dark," I rose my arms up and shook them until the sleeves on my sheer jacket slid down to reveal my cuts and stitches and zip tie burns.

"Such a team player," Stellan flatly replied, his eyes pouring over the injuries. "I did tell them to leave you alone. But apparently I've lost all authority over Anya."

"She told me Jack scares her." I offered, crossing my arms over my chest again. Stellan shrugged,

"Good. She should be scared of him, then she'll listen to him when it matters."

"That's where you're wrong." I shot in. He rose an eyebrow at me. "She shouldn't be scared of him, she should respect him. He has to earn her trust."

"You're not entirely wrong." He smirked. "Did you earn her trust?"

"Are you afraid of clowns?" I immediately replied and he laughed and started nodding.

"So you have earned her trust." He looked toward the house for a beat and then over at my feet bandaged and propped up on the wall. "I guess the next question is if I've lost yours."

The wave of nervousness raced up my chest making my neck hot. I looked at my feet as well unable to look at him at all. "Do we have to?"

"I think we do, Avery." He replied, my name rolling out of his mouth in a thick Russian accent. It shot me back to the shower, the sound of his groans bouncing off the walls, and I shivered and blushed all in the same moment.

I'd rather step on more broken glass than do this but I remembered what Colette had told me - closure. I couldn't conveniently move this time, I had to fix this mess. I _wanted_ to fix this mess. I took a breath and forced myself to look at him.

"Okay. Go."

"It's not a firing squad." He gave me a weak smile, the wind blowing his hair around. He shook it off his forehead and took a breath of his own. "Do you still trust me?"

"Now that's a stupid question." I anxiously snapped. He put his hands up trying to placate me. "Why don't you just ask me what you really want to know and let's get right to it?"

"Do you still think I'm going to murder you in the tomb?" He crossed his arms over his chest. I looked off into the distance trying to remember that whole conversation, it was a little fuzzy. I started shaking my head. Even if I couldn't remember it I still trusted him, implicitly.

"Of course not, Stellan." I grumbled and focused on the way the clouds were leaving patches of blinding water on the horizon. There was a long moment of silence before I saw him shift in my peripheral vision.

"Can you even look at me?" He asked softly. I chanced a quick glance at him but felt the embarrassment flood me too quickly. Right now I could keep it in my stomach, but if I looked at him again I was afraid all the squirming humiliation would make me turn instantly red. I shrugged in answer,

"I warned you about the stupid questions."

I watched him nod a few times, calculating that response in silence. Before taking in a quick breath.

"Now that you're sober is that something you want to do again? Did you like it?" He promptly asked and I looked up at the sky, the gut punch of hearing it making me react physically. I was not ready for him to be so blunt even though I'd asked him to.

"Did you?" I stalled.

"I begged you not to leave me," he let out a little chuckle. "So yes. I did. But I don't want you to feel like you have to do that again if you don't want to."

"How could I not after you said you liked it." I groaned and covered my face with my hands, collapsing onto my legs in front of me.

"Contrary to popular belief it's not always about what I want." He joked and I pressed my face harder into my hands and legs, the bubble of truth battling against all my mortification. The real problem was that I had liked it, I just didn't know if I was brave enough to admit it. Yet, in the same way he'd teased the confession of wanting to rule the Circle out of me I could feel him teasing this out as well. I forced myself to sit back up, but I still couldn't look at him. I examined my blood red nails instead,

"Even if I did like it," I started and saw him freeze out of the corner of my eye, "that part of me is buried under so much embarrassment right now I don't even know how to dig it out."

"Then keep it buried," he said and I finally met his eyes. He smirked, "for now."

"Had you ever done that before?" I hoarsely asked. He shook his head.

"First time for me too. Quite a role reversal." He looked off at the house, contemplating. "Didn't think I was all that into pain either, but there you go."

"Oh god stop," I blurted and put my hands over my face again.

"It kind of makes sense when you think about it, right? I'm always _in_ pain so someone inflicting pain made the pleasure all that more intense." He kept going, and I felt like my skin was on fire I was so mortified. "And you're so tiny, I wasn't expecting you to _own_ me quite like that."

"Stop talking," I groaned shaking my head and keeping my blazing face covered.

"You could have started slapping me around and I wouldn't have said a damn word. Actually, I bet I would have begged you for more." He ignored me lost in his own thoughts. "Total control - it was breathtaking."

I couldn't take it anymore.

" _Zatknis', Stellan!_ " I grumbled through my hands and he abruptly cut off. He started pulling at my fingers until I let my hands drop, his face in shock,

"Was that Russian?"

" _Mozhet byt'_ _,_ " I replied back and rose an eyebrow at him the smirk spreading across my lips. The satisfaction of seeing the shock on his face started to stamp out all my embarrassment. "Anya doesn't speak any French so it seemed like the logical choice."

He didn't say anything, he didn't need to, it was all over his face - pure unabashed adoration. It flowed so openly from him it made a flash of goosebumps race across my skin in a heartbeat as he stood up and closed the space between us.

His fingers weaved through my hair as he pulled my forehead to his lips and left kiss after gentle kiss there. When he pulled back he smiled down at me and a rush of protective love and resolution fill me. I seared this moment into my memory needing to hold onto it - the first real emotional reaction I'd had. I would do anything to have him smile at me like that again. Just as suddenly it was too much for my heart to carry. How could he possibly love me like that? How could I ever match that kind of love when everything in me felt still felt broken? How could we both feel this way and still not be able to say the words to each other?

"Don't get your hopes up," I gently started. "There is a reason I barely passed Spanish."

Stellan laughed and I could hear it - the lightness and hope in his rolling laughter. He laughed like we were some kind of normal couple, like our childhoods had never been traumatized by the Circle. Like we were on some kind of vacation together in this giant villa on the cliffs of Ibiza.

I so desperately wanted to believe that alternate reality it physically hurt. I could imagine the two of us, lounging around on the beaches, swimming in the dark blue pools of water, ignoring the rest of the world as we fell deeper and deeper into each other. But I abruptly cut off that daydream. In that alternate reality we wouldn't have known the other existed. But I did have this, right here, right now. I had someone who continued to risk his life for me, that pushed me and protected me all in the same moments, that found me horrible American TV shows and trusted me with the most important things in his life. It had taken me so long to trust anyone but my Mom, but here he was - the only person I now trusted with my true self and my heart.

"I just need to hear you say one thing and I can die a happy man." He leaned forward and kissed my forehead again. " _Potseluy menya._ "

" _Potseluy menya._ " I repeated back. He immediately pressed a searing kiss to my lips, tipping the chair back so he could get full access. I clutched onto the front of his shirt to balance myself and then kissed him back. The lingering embarrassment I had started to smolder out the deeper the kiss became. I sucked in a quick breath and wrapped my arms around his neck, keeping him close to me, he fell to his knees in front of my chair, both him and the chair hitting the ground at the same time and broke the kiss. He rested his forehead against my own, both of us trying to catch our breath.

" _Moye serdtse prinadlezhit tebe._ " He murmured and I kissed him again before I pulled back to look into his face.

"What's that one mean?" I whispered.

"You'll have to figure it out yourself." He smiled. I smiled back and he brought my injured palm up to his mouth to kiss it. "I knew you'd turn the corner."

"I'm glad one of us is a pessimist. Because you're a little too eager to jump on the 'Avery is back to normal' bandwagon." I countered. He sat back on the wall in front of me, spreading his legs out under my chair as he pulled my feet to rest in his lap.

"I hope you can at least fake enthusiasm for what Anya has planned for you, pessimist." He examined my feet a little longer before looking up at me.

"Oh no," my stomach fluttered with nervousness. "What did she do?"

"She found out it was your birthday and baked you a birthday cake. She's been working on it all afternoon. Sent Luc and Elodie to the store about four times already today." He pushed up my skirt to my knees and examined the cuts on my legs as well.

"Can she bake? Will I have to pretend it's good?" I pushed my skirt back down and he broke his concentration and pursed his lips for a moment, contemplating how to word his response.

"I wasn't paying for culinary school." He answered and I chuckled. "Come wifey."

I rolled my eyes, he pushed my chair back and stood, holding out his hand. I grabbed it and gingerly moved onto my feet. The pain only lasted for a second because he immediately grabbed me and threw me onto his back, positioning his arms behind himself and under my backside since I couldn't wrap my legs around him due to the maxi skirt.

"Very unnecessary." I said into his ear.

"And yet you haven't jumped down." He countered and rounded the pool on his way toward the living room.

The giant sliding window walls were wide open letting in the ocean breeze. He walked right over to an empty couch and lowered the two of us down, staying in front of me like a shield. I tucked into the corner of the couch and then hid a little behind his back, hoping that no one would notice me. I didn't know if I was ready to take even friendly teasing at my expense, or Stellan's. This was all still mortifying to me. But, no one had even bothered to look up as we entered, they were all glued to their screens. I watched as Elodie kicked Jack's foot away from her own, both of them flicking through things on their phones, Luc kept typing away on his laptop deep in concentration.

Satisfied I wasn't about to be the butt of the joke I leaned into Stellan, wrapping my arms around his waist. It made my jacket sleeves rise and expose some of my injuries. I saw everyone's eyes shoot up from their screens to look at them and then quickly look away. So they weren't as engrossed as I thought. I tensed on him, ready to leave when Stellan wrapped his hands around my own, covering the marks and I leaned my head against his shoulder. I felt the muscles on his shoulder start to tense, but he didn't move at all, instead he slowed his breath and I realized in that moment what I'd done. I'd been pressing my head into all his scars. I pulled back and left a kiss of apology, he squeezed my wrists in thanks. Jack pocketed his phone, spreading his arms across the back of the couch as Luc closed the laptop and looked at the two of us, contemplating something. Elodie dropped her phone into her lap,

"I have been looking further into Rocco's phone and I think I've found…"

"No, no. We are not going to talk shop." Stellan interrupted Elodie. She shot him a dirty look but closed her mouth and leaned back gesturing for him to proceed with a better topic.

We all just stared at each other in silence for a minute no one able to come up with anything. I started to wonder if there really was anything the five of us could talk about with each other. I pressed my lips together to stop the outburst of nervous laughter that wanted to escape. Jack cleared his throat and casually threw out,

"Manchester won."

Elodie rolled her eyes and pulled her phone back out as Luc and Stellan both let out noncommittal noises. I slid away from Stellan's back to hide from the sports talk, and he squeezed my wrists gently releasing me.

"Okay everyone, time for the surprise!" Colette announced as she moved into the room. "Avery sit next to Stellan."

I crawled out from behind him and sat down, making sure to pull my sleeves down again before Anya came into the room. Colette glanced to her left and then smiled as Anya rounded the corner. She had a sundress over her bathing suit and was using all her concentration on balancing my cake on a tray. Her blonde hair fell into her face and she tried to blow it off, tipping a bit and we all leaned forward in anticipation of the disaster but she quickly righted herself and stopped in front of me.

The chocolate frosting was a little uneven, the entire cake was covered in rainbow sprinkles and what looked like jellybeans, the wax from the candles was melting onto the crumbled cookies on the top of the two tiered cake, but it was perfect. I loved it. And I loved her look of determined concentration to not drop it even more. She carefully set it down on my lap and I held onto the edges of the tray, to keep it steady. She let out a satisfied breath and wiped her hair out of her face before finally looking up at me.

"Happy birthday!" She smiled.

"Thank you, Anya." I smiled back, my breath blew the candles out and her face fell.

"Oh no!" She pouted at the cake, looking absolutely crestfallen.

"It's okay!" I hastily replied and looked over at the group, knowing at least two of them still smoked. Luc had already jumped up and was digging through a jacket that had been on the back of his chair.

"Lighter and…" he stopped. "What is this?"

He held out the lighter to Stellan who relit the candles. Anya was pleased, but we were all looking at the matchbox in his hands. She turned, curious what had distracted all the attention away from her cake,

"What does it say?" She asked.

Luc held up the box for everyone to see. Blank on the backside, coordinates on both of the long sides, and big, black, block letters filling the front: Alexander the Great Hotel. Luc shook the box of matches and slowly slid it open.

"There's three." He looked immediately at Stellan and walked toward us. Luc handed it to him and my fingers clenched around the tray holding the cake. Stellan slipped the lid all the way off and handed it back to Luc,

"Look up the coordinates." He ordered and then gently moved the matches around until all three were visible in the box. I leaned over to look at his hand seeing the rest of the group close in around us from the corner of my eye. The matches themselves were unlike anything I'd ever seen. Thick and square each match was big enough to have delicate writing carved into the wood, but it wasn't English.

"Can you read them?" I quietly asked him. He nodded,

"They're in Greek. Stellan. Anya. Avery."

Anya let out a little gasp of surprise and we both looked at her first and then each other.

"Alexandra, Egypt." Elodie supplied and I watched everyone but Anya tense around me. "That's the coordinates."

Instead of the excited reaction I thought everyone would have at this development they all went quiet around me: Elodie staring at the coordinates on her phone, Stellan and Luc at the matches, Jack frowned at the ground and Colette was looking out the open window lost in thought. Only Anya didn't seem troubled by this development and sucked in a surprised breath,

" _Bystro!_ Before they melt!" She pointed to my cake and I saw the candle wax, blood red, melting all over the cookies on top. I took a small breath and thought,

 _Please God let this be it._

I blew them out in one breath, the wax spraying small droplets all over the cake and Anya started clapping. Everyone else shook awake and half-heartedly joined in, murmurs of happy birthday interspersed with the clapping. Colette walked over and grabbed the tray from me.

"Elodie and Luc helped me buy everything and Colette helped me make the cake." Anya explained to me, proudly.

"Thanks everyone." I smiled up at them, they all nodded, still tense. Anya grabbed Luc and Elodie's shirts and started tugging them toward the kitchen after Colette.

"Help me get all the wax off the top. I knew we should have bought the white candles instead!" Anya ordered them as she pulled them along. Stellan watched them all go, one side of his mouth rising in a smile before he turned back to Jack and I, the smile gone.

"Time to teach her how to use the gun." Stellan ordered Jack and stared at him until Jack nodded. "I'll have Luc call Samarah."

"Stellan!" Anya called to him from the kitchen and he rose leaving Jack there, rubbing his compass tattoo and looking anywhere but at me. I shifted a little on the couch and he nodded to himself and then locked eyes with me,

"Tonight. After Anya falls asleep. Unless you're not up for it."

"I am." I carefully answered still not quite understanding everyone's abrupt attitude change. He gave me a fake smile, nodded and went after the rest of the group into the kitchen. I watched him go, eyeing the five of them suspiciously from my position on the couch. It must be Egypt. I wanted to start looking up anything I could on my phone but right as I went to pull it out Anya was carefully moving toward me with a giant piece of cake, everyone else behind her chatting and laughing about the cake like they hadn't all just been shocked into silence.

* * *

A/N: This one took a few versions to get out so I thank the tireless work of my editors for replying back to my needy and worried texts about it. LOL

 **Chapter Soundtrack**

Kids - One Republic

I Feel It Coming - The Weeknd

Shape of You - Ed Sheeran


	15. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

We were in the formal dining room, just on the other side of the living room. The sliding wall to the deck was currently wide open letting in the evening breeze. After dinner everyone had scattered with a multitude of excuses. Anya and I watched them suspiciously but didn't say anything. I had pulled out my phone and started researching Egypt as she flipped through all the channels before falling asleep on the couch next to me. Stellan took her to bed and Jack found me a moment later.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Jack asked, holding the gun in his hands.

I shifted on my battered feet feeling the stitches pull a little. I was trying to build up a tolerance to the pain but it was still distracting. That and my headache was starting to come back - rebound headaches from the concussion I'd been told. I eyed the gun in his hands again. It was so small I thought it was fake at first. He wasn't holding it like it was fake though. I took a breath trying to prepare for this.

"Stellan thinks that," I started but Jack cut over me.

"I don't care what Stellan thinks. I'm asking you." He leveled a measured stare my way, holding my gaze for more than he had in days now waiting for my answer.

"Yeah." I shrugged and eyed the gun again.

"Because you saw what it did to Elodie. This isn't a skill to take lightly." He continued.

"I know." I crossed my arms over my chest.

"No. You don't." He quietly said almost concealing the gun in his hands as he wrapped his fingers around it. "The first time I was ordered to kill someone I was 12."

Everything in me stilled. I rose my gaze to meet his face and pressed my lips into a hard line, nodding for him to continue.

"I thought I'd be fine. I'd been training for that moment my whole life. It was ingrained in me - the idea that I held the power to shape lives based on the will of my Family. That doing their bidding would absolve me of fault."

He looked away and I took a shaky breath, the room filled with cool air suddenly, billowing the curtains and rattling the crystal in the chandelier above us.

"What happened?" I whispered.

Jack turned back to me, setting the gun on the table next to us.

"I shot a man in broad daylight, but my trajectory was off and the bullet hit a bystander as well. We drove off before their bodies hit the ground. And I was lauded as a hero."

"Jack," I moved toward him, he shook his head and took a step back from me.

"The Circle didn't care about the innocent bystander. The Circle didn't care that I couldn't speak for three days. The Circle doesn't care what your orders do to you, _take_ from you. The Circle only cares that it's done." He clenched his fists at his sides, compass twitching with the motion, and looked away from me.

"We are not the Circle, Jack." I quietly said and he looked up, eyes lost, mouth tight.

"Don't you want to kill your family? Regardless of the consequences?" He questioned. "Feels like something the Circle would order me to do."

"But I'm not ordering you to do it. I'm going to do it myself." I quickly answered.

"And what happens when you can't pull the trigger?" He countered. "Because I don't know if I could pull the trigger for that."

I took the few steps between us toward the gun on the table and put my hand over it. I looked up at him, still lost in thought, his eyes stormy, his shoulders tight.

"I'm going to tell you the same thing I told Elodie." He looked over at me. "I don't own you. No one owns you anymore. You don't have to stay here. You don't have to do this."

"Yes I do. I told the Circle," he started. I shook my head, speaking before he could finish his thought,

"Don't do this for me. Don't stay here for Stellan. I need to know you're going to stay because _you_ want to stay. I need to know you're going to back me up because you _support_ my choices. I'm not going to ask you to kill the Saxons, Jack. That's my destiny."

He nodded, but didn't look convinced. I took a step away, giving him a moment to think. He turned toward the window and looked out into the black night, massaging the back of his neck. The cool metal of the gun slipped a little in my hand scraping against the table. He turned back around.

"Alright," he cleared his throat. "The first thing we'll go over is safety." He pulled out his gun from his back holster.

Just like the knife training he'd done with me each step was repeated ad nauseum. Load the clip in and out. Throw the safety on and off. How my hands were supposed to look. How my feet were supposed to look. Where my shoulders were supposed to be. Each time we'd go through the cycle he'd find something else to correct me on. He'd tap my shoulders down, kick my feet apart, adjust my hands. It felt like it was going on for hours and yet nothing was getting done. It was as if he thought I was never going to actually use the gun - just like he thought I'd never actually use the knife.

My stitches were all starting to burn, the friction of all the metal against the bandages irritating. My feet were throbbing with pain from standing this long and with each room filling breeze from the ocean below us I'd squeeze my eyes shut aggravating the headache. My patience ran thin and I was still a little too apathetic to spare his feelings.

"So am I ever going to fire this thing?" I snapped when he kicked my feet apart for the hundredth time.

"God no." He stopped and gave me a worried look.

"Then what is the point here?" I set the gun down on the table. "You might as well give me a plastic gun for all this stance adjustment is doing."

He narrowed his eyes, annoyed at me, and then reached behind his back pulling his gun on me. I fumbled for my own, it slid off the table out of my jittering hands and clattered to the floor. Jack shoved his gun back into the holster,

"You're dead."

"Okay I get it." I grumbled and reached down to pick it up off the floor.

"The fact that you've said that means you don't." He crossed his arms over his chest and waited until I set the gun back down. I leaned against the chair closest to me, starting to feel the late hour. I turned my palms out toward him and drawled,

"So enlighten me."

"Even if you keep your gun loaded, and you remember to slide the safety off, and you can see your attacker, and you have time to aim...you're still aiming to kill." He looked between the gun and myself disapprovingly a few times.

"Obviously Jack." I snapped.

"So kill me then." He dropped his arms and widened his stance.

I rolled my eyes. He motioned for me to stand up straight and then nodded toward my gun. I put it back into my own holster and we stared at each other for a silent moment. Then faster than I could see he pulled his gun. I managed not to drop it this time and slid the safety off but by the time I looked up to aim he'd already closed the space between us and pointed the gun right between my eyes.

"So what is the point of me having a gun if everyone is going to shoot me first?" I asked still annoyed as I dropped my gun to my side. He lowered his own and took a few steps away from me.

"The element of surprise. They're not expecting you to have one, that's why it's so small. And if you do intend on killing your family it's the quickest and cleanest way. If you can manage to do it." He flippantly replied.

"Don't patronize me." I snapped, my blood starting to boil at his tone.

"Then kill me," he snapped back and I rose my gun to his chest. He grabbed the barrel and pulled it until it was pressed against himself, right above his heart.

I swallowed hard, all of this felt so wrong. The lingering anger between us wasn't helping the situation either. I wasn't going to be killing someone I cared for, I was going to murder someone I hated with every fiber of my being. He had a point, there was no way I'd be able to shoot Cole and Lydia unless I was right in front of them. Everyone had years of training over me, and there was no way my wild aim and slow reflexes were going to work in anything but face to face confrontation. I tried to pull the trigger, knowing the gun was empty, and I couldn't bring myself to do it. This was Jack...Jack. It felt so intimate and personal. I swallowed hard, trying to find the resolution within myself. Jack clenched his jaw in frustration and dropped his hand,

"I knew you couldn't…"

 _CLICK._

His eyes flew back to mine, startled. I held up my clip in my other hand the gun still buried in his chest. He let out a short breath and then nodded seeming to come to grips with my resolve.

"Right." He shook out his shoulders a little, "the best way to ensure your target is dead is to shoot them in the head. But there are specific places that will ensure a clean kill. Too high and you blast the skull off - blood everywhere."

I swallowed against the rising nausea and nodded for him to continue.

"For your sake, for your size and lack of experience, I suggest if you're going to execute your family," he carefully continued.

"Stop calling them my family." I cut in. "They killed my family."

Jack nodded and then gently pushed the gun away from his chest.

"If you are going to execute the Saxons yourself you should shoot them right between the eyes."

Something clawing and ugly started to stir in my chest. If I was going to execute them...that's what I was doing wasn't it? Blood for blood. The vengeance pulsed through me. I could feel it swirling in my belly in a mix of anger and anticipation. I forced it to the surface, making the feeling steel me to the task. If I could pretend to shoot Jack, I could kill Cole. I rose the gun to his face. He stilled, not breathing, his grey eyes wide with caution,

"Like this?"

He slowly reached up and pulled the gun until it was millimeters away from the space between his brows,

"Like this," he whispered and dropped his hand. I took a breath and wrapped my finger around the trigger. I thought of that evil smile on Cole's face as he'd escaped the fashion show. I thought of how my mother had turned to me, surprised and bleeding. I thought of the awful sound she'd made, struggling to breathe. I thought of all the horrible things I'd buried back in Cannes to preserve my sanity, to ensure I'd get here, survive the trauma of it all to avenge her. Jack's incredulous eyes widened further at the look that crossed my face and then I pulled.

 _CLICK._

He flinched away, closing his eyes in the process and I dropped the gun to my side a wave of nausea overcoming me. We both let out charged breaths and turned away from each other, putting chairs of space between ourselves. The wind howled into the room again, shaking all the crystal above me and I tried to breathe through all the nausea and darkness flooding through my veins.

"Everything alright?" Stellan's voice filled the silent room and we both turned to look at him. He was eyeing us carefully leaning against the door jamb.

"I'm done." Jack hoarsely replied and then shook out his shoulders a little, "excuse me."

I threw the gun at the table and put my shaking hands under my arms, staring at the unassuming weapon. It was so small it could be a toy gun. Yet, it was so powerful that even empty it had scared Jack. Or had it been the fact that I'd done it after all that shook him?

"Avery?" Stellan quietly asked and I shook my head a little still choked with nausea. "What happened?"

I shook my hands out and then moved to the table shoving the clip back into the gun, checking the safety, and then placing it back into the holster.

"I'm fine." I answered and then looked up at him, unable to hide everything pulsing through me. The shock, the panic, the anger, the deep satisfaction, the vengeance. He frowned. I pushed past him on my way out of the room, "I'm going to pack."

* * *

I couldn't sleep.

After it took me all of three seconds to pack I decided to take a bath. It was an amazing feat of contortionism but I did manage to not soak the stitches on both my hands and one of my feet without drowning in the process. I changed and moved toward the voices in the living room, pausing in the hallway as I realized everyone was there but me. They were all speaking in French. I couldn't tell if it was just second nature to them all, knowing Jack could keep up, or if they'd done it on purpose so I couldn't understand. I didn't stick around to find out.

I crawled into bed and willed myself to go to sleep, but all I could see was a loop of Jack's shocked face and Stellan's frown. At around 1:30AM he'd silently slide onto the opposite side of the bed, turned onto his left side, and quickly fallen asleep. There was a literal pillow of space between us and I hated it. I needed him. I wanted him tangled up with me, his strong heartbeat lulling me to sleep. But I still didn't know how to ask him for that without feeling like an idiot. It only added to my inner turmoil.

I flipped onto my back again and sighed softly into the pitch black room. There was something else bothering me, scaring me actually, and I was too afraid to admit it out loud. Some part of myself had fractured off after my mother's death. I had managed to contain it in Cannes, and I'd had enough distractions to keep it at bay since then, but I had to face it now. There was an ugly sliver of my soul that was excited about the thought of killing Cole. The cathartic release of vengeance it would give me.

I shifted again, unable to get comfortable with the realization. Next to me the bed rocked and with a whoosh of air and a small thump the pillow between us vanished. I looked at the shadow next to me.

"Your thinking woke me up." He grumbled, his voice gravelly from sleep.

"Sorry." I whispered and flattened myself further.

"What's wrong? What happened with Bishop?" He cleared his throat a little and stretched his legs out down the bed. The movement made the light peeking in from the curtains catch on his hair and I tried to make out more of him. He was still just shadows. The darkness made me feel honest. Like a confessional. The fact that he couldn't read my face, anticipating the answer before I could say it, made it all bubble to the surface.

"He didn't think I could do it. I didn't either for a moment."

"Of course he didn't." He murmured. I huffed, frustrated. "He underestimates you, always has. And if Jack is anything it's consistent."

"Why though? After everything that's happened." I glared up at the ceiling, glad I could have all these reactions without having to worry about him cataloging them.

He was quiet for a long moment and then,

"You appeared in his life and then blew it up. If he admits that you're not the person he thought you were, hoped you were, then he has to admit that maybe he isn't the person he thought he was."

He turned to me, the bed dipping as he moved into the space where the pillow had been. He was so warm, always so warm. I could feel his body heat already and inched closer to him. I processed what he said, realizing I should have known this by now. It was the reason things always felt so strange between Jack and I.

"Oh," was all I could lamely reply.

"It's a hard thing to admit." He brushed his fingers along my arm, gently exploring where my body was in the dark. "I would know."

"What did you have to admit to yourself?" I whispered. His fingers stilled and then slowly spread a burning trail across my stomach, up under my shirt. My stomach muscles clenched, surprised, and then I let out a long sigh. It hadn't even been that long, but it felt like years had passed since he'd touched me like that.

"You first." His fingers trailed over my ribs on his exploration up. I shifted into his touch, his palm cupping my side.

"That I wanted all that power." I whispered. He let out a low growling noise of agreement, his palm sliding down my side and over my hip. He paused before whispering back,

"That I could rule the Circle instead of escape it."

I nodded, even though he probably couldn't tell and then leaned toward him and let my own hand find him in the dark. The edge of his shirt sleeve, the line of his shoulder, how his whole side expanded when he took in a surprised breath. I wanted to tell him more, I needed to tell him more. "That staying isolated isn't going to work anymore."

"That something could be more important than protecting my sister." He said as his fingers traced the line of where my pajama bottoms began. It was as if each fingertip was sending out a wake of desire from where it pressed into my skin.

A throbbing ache built between my legs, but I wasn't sure if I was ready for that - if we were. Everything still felt so twisted and complicated in my chest. He noticed my hesitation and started moving his hand back up, drawing lazy circles with his thumb as he did. That act of wordless acknowledgement created the opposite intention and made my desire ramp up. I wanted to tell him everything, trust him with everything. I took a breath and then whispered,

"That I'm ready to kill Cole."

His hand stopped, lying flat on my stomach for a breath before his voice rumbled next to me,

"Vengeance can be easily confused with catharsis, _lyubov' moya_."

"You don't think I should do it either." I sighed and started to roll away when he slid his hand over my waist and pulled me to him. Even now, face to face, it was still too dark to see all his features. The anonymity added another layer of honesty to everything.

"That's not what I said." He paused for a moment. "You shouldn't kid yourself into thinking it will make you feel better."

"And what will it make me feel?" I whispered.

"I don't know," he ran his hand up my back, one of his fingers tracing my spine on its way up. "But it takes something from you that is hard to describe...even now."

I shivered, not sure if it was his admission or his hand that made it happen. He kept tracing my spine in the quiet of the room, lost in thought. Every time his palm would brush across my shoulders another thump of desire would spread through me. It was confusing, my body and mind were in completely different places.

"What is it that you keep seeing in me that no one else does?" My whisper broke up the silence and he let out a small, quiet, laugh.

"They see what they want you to be." He leaned forward and left a small kiss into my hair. "I see you, just as you are, Avery."

The flood of love washed over all the turbulence that had been stirring in my soul. I leaned forward and started kissing whatever my lips landed on. His shoulder, all up his neck, across his stubbly jaw, pausing when I knew I'd reached his mouth. We both let out short breaths, his palm pressed into my shoulders and I whispered against his lips,

"I love the way you say my name."

"How do I say it?" He smiled against my lips trying to kiss me and I pulled back, just enough so he couldn't.

"Say it," I breathed, the lust building in my stomach. His hand ran under my pajama bottoms this time and smoothed over my backside.

"What else do you love about me?" He murmured as he moved his hand to my hip and guided me back down to the bed. He rolled with me, leaning over me a little to leave a line of kisses down my neck. My whole body lit with lust, pulsing through my blood, making me feel a little desperate already. The weight of him, his lips on my skin, the darkness of the room, it all mixed together in my brain and everything I'd kept to myself for so long started rushing from my mouth,

"I love it when you really smile at me. Not that fake Circle smile."

He stopped on his way down, laughing softly against my breast before mumbling against it,

"I have a Circle smile?"

I started to bring up an example when his teeth lightly closed around my nipple through my shirt and it was like a live wire shot through me right to the building desire in the pit of my stomach.

"Oh god," I sighed and felt my back arc toward him for a moment. He kept moving down and another truth slipped out, "I love that you always know exactly where to touch me."

He shifted on the bed a little, his head down at my waist now, kissing and sucking at my hip bone before his fingers closed around the band of my pajama pants and pulled them off in a single move. His mouth closed over my hip again and then he whispered against it,

"Like right here?"

"Yes, yes," I groaned. He shifted again on the bed and then I felt his stubble against my inner thigh. He started kissing up the sensitive skin and everything inside me clenched in anticipation sending off a thumping beat of lust right in the center of me. With one more small move he shifted to between my legs and angled his shoulder right under my thigh, so that my foot would rest on his back, his other hand smoothing down my other leg, gently urging it to spread open. A shudder of desire raced through me and I quickly whispered, "I've never done this before."

"You want me to stop?" He whispered against my thigh, and rubbed his face against it making a wave of goosebumps fan out from the point of contact.

"Please no. Please don't stop." I fumbled out, starting to lose the ability to make coherent thoughts. His silent laugh made his stubble scratched against me again and my center pulsed, already close to combustion.

"So polite," he laughed and then I felt his hand slide up my free leg toward the part of me that I was desperate for him to touch. "I've wanted to do this since that morning at Colette's house."

I let out a whimper and was grateful, again, that we couldn't see each other in this darkness. I was probably bright red, undone, and desperate looking - because that's exactly how I felt. A single finger tested my opening and I arched toward him again, feeling my heel slide along his spine.

"Christ," He swore and I knew why, I could feel how wet I was.

"Oh no," I breathed. I was already so close. He was going to touch me and it would be over before it could even start. He pulled his hand back,

"Slow down, slow down." He lowly laughed and coached me pulling his head back as well, my foot sliding as he reset.

"I can't help it," I heaved. "It's like you set me on fire any time you touch me."

He let out the sexiest sounding groan and then my whole body caught flame. I couldn't even tell what he was doing at first it was just a jumble of climaxing desire. It built quickly, even without his fingers. One hand reached up to grab my hip, pinning me exactly where he wanted me, and the other reached up and found my fluttering fingers on my stomach. He grabbed one of my hands and then pulled it until it was on the back of his head. My fingers twisted into his hair, he grabbed my other hip, tilting me up to him more and the new angle made my fingers yank his hair before pressing him closer to me.

I pressed my other hand over my mouth as a groan escaped, trying to stifle it. He stopped just for a moment to command,

"I want to hear it, don't cover your mouth."

I felt desperate and slightly panicky and heaved, "but I'm going to scream."

He groaned again and the vibrations made all the fluttering lust zero in to the exact point where his mouth met my body. The climax started to bare down on me, fingers slipped inside, he growled against me, "I don't care."

I slipped over the edge, losing control of my body and my mouth. I gripped his hair, hard, keeping his head where I wanted it, my hips arching toward him, I dug my heel into his back and started desperately gasping, "Don't. Stop. Holy. Shit. Oh no. Fuck. You."

Maybe I screamed, I don't know. Maybe I kept swearing at him, I couldn't be sure. At some point I did let go of his hair because I put my hands over my face trying to keep myself together as I was falling apart. It felt like it went on forever and right when I didn't think I could handle it anymore it was too much. Everything was overly sensitive, like ungrounded electricity, I pushed his head away, trying to catch my breath.

" _Merde_ that was hot." He growled and kissed my thigh. I reflexively kicked him, everything still too sensitive and he laughed. "Okay, okay. Sorry."

I let out a pathetic sounding noise as he shifted off the bed and moved toward the bathroom. I drifted asleep, jolts and zaps of aftershocks startling me awake before I'd immediately fall back asleep. After some undeterminable amount of time he finally slid back into bed, keeping some space between us as he settled. I inched toward him, my body heavy and exhausted now, until my back was flush against his chest.

"I can't sleep unless you're holding me." I yawned.

"Always?" He whispered, incredulous, his arm wrapping around me. I nodded and yawned again settling against him. "I'll remember that."

"I have a new thing I love about you." I mumbled. He shifted a little, pulling the comforter up over both of us, tucking me in a bit.

"Oh really?" He whispered into my ear before kissing right behind it. I nodded,

"Say my name and I'll tell you."

He laughed, pulling me to his chest tightly before rumbling in my ear, "Avery."

I shivered against the vibrations and then sighed, "you're fun to boss around."

He started laughing, loud enough that I shushed him, and then I immediately fell asleep.

* * *

The bed shifted and I slowly came awake, cracks of light spilling in from the curtains, my face buried in Stellan's neck. He swallowed and then whispered,

"Only one time."

The bed moved again and there was a question in Russian. Anya. For a moment I thought about going back to sleep, or at least pretending to, I was way too comfy to move.

"Hot. It's very hot there." Stellan quietly answered. Anya made a small noise of contemplation, Stellan brushed hair off my shoulder and I heard some low voices in the living room. It would seem I was the last to wake up again. Maybe everyone else was used to all this travel, but I felt like every time I became acclimated to the time zone we'd move again.

My Egypt research last night had been troubling. There was the obvious aftermath of the Arab Spring to be concerned about, but I had a distinct feeling that wasn't what everyone had slipped into silence over. We'd have the security of the Emir's rule over the region, let alone whatever safety precautions would be set in place. I'd tried to do some historical research as well on Alexander the Great in Egypt, Napoleon in Egypt, cross referencing Circle names in Egypt. The results were confusing. Something had happened there, something was always happening in Egypt, but everything was vague. Alexander the Great had been buried there - but they couldn't find his tomb. Napoleon had visited there and seen the tomb - but they couldn't tell you where. Every single Circle family name I could remember had been to Egypt but their trips were oddly uneventful.

Stellan moved his fingers through the ends of my hair, Anya asked him another question in Russian and he lightly replied,

"Go bother Luc - he should be getting used to the idea of having a _vreditel'_ now."

She made an indignant sound at him before jumping off the bed, thudding through the house in search of him. He twisted his fingers through my hair again, his warm palm brushing against my back and I sighed against him.

"We have to go soon." He murmured, a finger catching in a knot that he carefully worked through. How could he always tell when I was awake? Was I that obvious or was he that observant? I laughed to myself, stretching away from him, it was totally the later. I shifted my hips a little and realized I still wasn't wearing pants, they were probably lost somewhere at the bottom of the bed. I sat up, making sure the covers were pulled up to my chest and started rubbing at my face. Anya came barreling back into the room before I could compose myself, jolting to a halt at the edge of the bed upon seeing me awake. I smiled at her,

"Morning."

"Morning." She smiled back and then locked eyes with Stellan and said, "he told me to tell you _vous êtes une bite_."

Anya looked up toward the ceiling as if it would help her recall the French better. Stellan's eyes widened a bit and he casually responded, "you go tell him _regardez-le paysan_."

Anya bolted out of the room, her shoes squeaking across the floor back to Luc. I laughed and crossed my arms over the comforter,

"You two better be careful. You pick up the swearing first when learning a new language."

"And what kind of Russian swear words has Anya been teaching you?" He rose an eyebrow and I shook my head, smirking.

"She's a better teacher than you, I'm not going to give her up so easily."

He smirked and then rolled onto his back, letting out a sigh before rubbing his hands over his face and then rolling out of the bed. He stretched and I eyed him as he made his way toward all the luggage feeling completely comfortable openly ogling him. Something had changed last night, at the very least for me, and everything felt different now. I didn't care if he caught me looking, I didn't care if someone else caught me looking, I didn't care that Anya had come in to see the two of us still tangled together. This morning I felt more connected to him than I ever had. We'd weaved all these tangled lines between us even further now.

He turned back around, surprised to find me watching him and tossed our bags onto the edge of the bed before asking,

"Are you going to tell me more things you love about me this morning? Because that's the look on your face."

I shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant, but it fluttered in the bottom of my stomach - that was what had changed. I'd basically told him I loved him last night. Instead of the flood of panic I was expecting to feel I marveled at the warmth that spread through my chest as I continued to silently watch him dig through all our stuff.

"I love that you always pack for me. Really makes me feel like a Queen." He looked up then, giving me a challenging smile, "guess I should play the part right?"

"Now that you've pointed it out I'll never do it again. I'm so used to packing for Luc - second nature." He held up some lingerie disguised as panties from my suitcase with a smirk, "on second thought."

I held out my hand impatiently toward him, but everything was shaking awake inside me. It must have been all over my face, because his eyes darkened and he licked his lips. Then Colette laughed at something in the living room, breaking the spell and he tossed my clothes at me. I caught them and causally countered,

"Is that part of Keeper school? How to pack a Family member's belongings discreetly?"

He threw his own clothes at the bed and then zipped up the luggage quickly before answering matter of factly,

"How to conceal a weapon in a suitcase, how to use a suitcase as a shield, how to determine if a suitcase has been tampered with." He made a little circle motion with his hand, like he could keep going.

"When you two are done with the _préliminaires_ ," Elodie drawled from the doorjamb. "We have a plane to catch."

" _Ne soyez pas jaloux_ ," Stellan replied back and she wrinkled her nose at us,

"Gross." She turned on her heel and Stellan shook his head and moved toward the door, locking it before he turned around.

"Okay my turn to ogle you." He leaned against the door and gave a pointed look at my lap. I could feel the blush rising from my chest but managed to stay calm,

"You have to pay for the show. You tell me one thing you love about me."

"It's already happening," he lowly rumbled, the smile pulling across his face, and I felt my cheeks burn with the flush all across my neck and chest.

"I see what you did there," I smirked and then chucked a pillow at him as I rolled out of the bed. I turned away from him, so I couldn't see him, but I could still feel him watching me - and it made the fluttering warmth in my chest spread even further.

* * *

A/N: Thank you to my lovely team of editors that continue to support me and the story. And thank you to the people who have reached out about the books! It's great chatting with you! :)

 **Chapter Soundtrack**

When I'm Small - Phantogram

Really Love - D'Angelo and The Vanguard


	16. Chapter 16

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

Jack was avoiding me. He kept finding reasons to be as far away from me as possible, which was very hard to do on a plane. It was when he'd let Anya boss him around for an hour that I finally decided to act. I'd watched with my own distance for about 45 minutes as she directed him to put her bags here, then there, then open one up, then open the other one - with incredible patience. For her it was highly suspicious behavior, considering only a few days ago she was terrified of him. I finally walked over and calmly asked,

"What exactly are you looking for Anya? I'm sure Jack has other things to do."

She turned bright red, caught in her lie. Jack shrugged,

"It's no bother to me."

"Sure it's not." I rose a skeptical eyebrow at him, then I turned expectantly to Anya.

"I had it in my pocket." She sheepishly pulled out some kind of small toy - it looked like a cupcake with a face on it if I was seeing it right. Jack closed his eyes and sighed as I nodded sagely at her, leveling her with a _I know what you are doing_ look. It would appear she finally realized Jack watched her because it was his job to. I was impressed she tried to use it to her advantage so quickly. She gave me a pleadingly hopeful look, still bright red, silently begging me not to tell Stellan she'd been torturing Jack. I nodded at her and waved her off, she took off down the plane.

Without the distraction of Anya the air between us stilled with awkward silence for one beat, then another, until he cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck,

"I should go ask…"

"We should talk about…" I said at the same exact moment. We looked at each other and he frowned.

"We're going to be very busy in Egypt. Can we pick this back up later?" He offered and then quickly stalked away toward the front of the plane as well. I stood there, only the roar of the engines filling the void when Luc walked in, saw me and turned immediately back around.

Something was up. Everyone was so wound up on the car ride to the airport that almost the entire conversation had been in French. Usually someone said a couple words in English to clue me in but even Jack was agreeing in French. I felt that queasy swirl of nerves in the pit of my stomach. I had two options, ignore all the red flags being thrown at me or just confront it. I knew if I asked Stellan to start translating he wouldn't be able to say no without alerting me to a problem.

I moved through the bank of seats to the living room area of the plane. All the low mumbled conversation stilted at the sight of me and I leaned against the bar eyeing each of them suspiciously,

"So what's going on?"

"Planning." Elodie casually replied, everyone else staying silent. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Anya curled up on a couch with her toy.

"Anya," I called to her, she looked up, "can you go find my medicine from my bag. It's in the room."

She jumped up at the chance to do something and darted toward the back of the plane. When I heard the door open in the back I pulled out my pill bottle and slammed it down on the counter, the pills shaking around and tried again,

"What's going on?"

Everyone broke eye contact with me, darting glances at Stellan and the flash of nerves washed over all my righteousness. Stellan stood and moved toward me,

"Come with me, _kuklachka."_

Uh oh. He hadn't used a _kuklachka_ on me in a long time now. I snatched up my pills and allowed him to lead me to the back of the plane while Elodie called out after us,

" _Gardez votre bouche fermée Stellan!_ "

He flipped her the bird and then gave Anya a single look that made her scatter. We moved into the bedroom and he closed the door behind us. I crossed my arms and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"It's all in French. You think I wouldn't notice you were cutting me out?" I immediately started before he could try and pacify me first.

"It's for Anya's protection too - the French." He quickly countered.

"So you _are_ hiding something from me." The anger started to burn in the pit of my stomach and I stood up, needing to move and quell the outburst. The jet engines roared around us, it created this constant vibration that made the walls suddenly feel even closer. I felt cagey and started to pace the short length of the room.

"I haven't lied to you." He pacified and I threw him an annoyed look.

"Withholding the truth is just as bad." I snapped. "Especially after everything that happened with Jack."

He closed his eyes, pressing his lips together and nodded. "I understand. But keeping you in the dark about some of this is part of the strategy."

"Strategy?" I stopped my pacing and turned to him. He nodded, unwavering in the face of my building rage.

"A big part of Keeper training is knowing how much to tell the Family member for their own safety." He carefully started to explain and I frowned at him,

"So you're my Keeper now?"

"Was I ever not?" He countered and the retort died in my throat. He was right. I conceded to him with a small nod and sat back down.

"I've earned the right to know." I slowly enunciated each word, all the building rage in my chest making the words burn as they left my lips. "You told me you weren't going to keep things from me anymore. That we weren't going to run our Family like that."

"We aren't. You have. And it will all make sense in the end, but please just...trust me." He rubbed at his face for a moment and then crossed the room and sat next to me on the bed. "Egypt is different. Everything about it is different. With the added variable of the Order...there's just a lot of…"

I held up a hand to stop him. The only thing worse than not knowing the plan was knowing disjointed pieces of the plan. I crossed my arms over my chest and took a deep breath, trying to calm down,

"Just tell me there's not going to be some kind of bombshell confession from you. I think I've had enough of those for a lifetime."

Stellan shook his head, reached toward my crossed arms, took one look at my face and then thought twice about it. He pulled his hand back and answered, "nothing like that. I swear."

"And you're going to tell me everything." I continued, locking eyes with him. He stared back, unwaveringly and answered,

"Yes."

I nodded, looking around the bedroom and sighed, "So now what?"

Stellan checked his phone and glanced behind us toward the headboard, "we have two hours until we land. Should we…" he trailed off, smirking. I filled in the blank,

"Watch The OC? Yes."

He deflated, but nodded and stood up to find the iPad.

* * *

"I don't understand. So this Sherman Oaks show they keep talking about is a joke?"

"Well, it's complicated." I started and stopped as the door banged open to reveal Luc.

"Yes?" Stellan eyed him as he pressed pause on the show.

"You're not getting ready." He looked the two of us over - snuggled into the bed and looking like slobs compared to his crisp suit.

"What's to get ready for? We're just meeting up with Samarah." Stellan tossed the tablet aside.

"No," Luc drug the word out as he made his way over to our luggage. "You are being received in a royal visit."

"What?" Stellan tensed next to me.

" _Je te l'ai dit!_ " Luc snapped anxiously and started opening Stellan's luggage.

"No you didn't," Stellan replied and I lifted my head from resting on his chest and asked,

"What's a royal visit? Like when the Queen visits the White House?"

"No that's a State visit and is very different." Luc replied as he pulled out a suit jacket and slacks digging around for a shirt. "Samarah will be receiving you as a representative of the Emir Family recognizing you and Stellan as the 13th Family and thus the rulers of the Circle."

"Does she have to?" I asked, dubious at the formality of it.

"Yes." Luc stood back up shirt and tie in hand. "And I've been teasing you about it all week but the fact remains that you are a Queen and he is your King."

"He's joking right?" I turned to Stellan who had gone pale. I swallowed hard.

"Which means the President, Prime Minister and commander of the Egyptian Army as well as a long list of dignitaries will be waiting to receive you. So you can't exit the plane looking like hobos." Luc draped Stellan's clothes over the back of a chair and crossed his arms.

"Fine." Stellan untangled himself from me and moved to the edge of the bed. "Go get Elodie and Colette."

Luc turned, closing the door behind himself and I shifted to the edge myself unable to stop the little grunt of pain. Stellan quickly moved to my side and stood in front of me wanting to help, but hesitating as I struggled on my own. It wasn't all that painful anymore, it was more that I felt so stiff it was hard to get moving. Not to mention the headache.

"I can do it." I whispered and he clenched his hands. A knock rapped on the door a moment later revealing Elodie and Colette, both looking like they were going to a high profile funeral in form fitting, knee length, capped sleeved black dresses that were all business.

"Luc said you needed help?" Colette eyed the two of us and Stellan nodded. I closed my eyes and exhaled. I wasn't ready for this. I had only mentally prepared myself to deal with the disgruntled looks I was sure Samarah was going to give me about what the Saxons had done to her family. I wasn't ready to also have to glad hand a bunch of world leaders knowing they were going to be looking directly at my eyes the entire time. I heard Stellan fidget in front of me and opened my eyes,

"You can go get ready."

" _Ty uveren?_ " He asked and I nodded. Elodie looked between the two of us for a moment and then took a step back.

"Don't worry so much, you're making her nervous." She pushed on his chest and then turned him around giving him a shove toward the door. He scooped up his clothes and left us.

Colette started pulling out dresses examining their cuts and styles and sticking them into piles. I felt Elodie's questioning eyes on me and looked her square in the face,

"Yes?"

"You speak Russian now?" She placed her makeup bag on the bed next to me and unzipped it.

" _Malen'kiy_." I shrugged. She nodded and the side of her mouth twitched with the hint of a smile.

"What else is broken on you?" Elodie asked looking down at her bag, digging out brushes and foundation.

"Mentally or physically speaking?" I deadpanned and Colette looked up, shocked for a moment, as Elodie let out a snort.

"We only have time for one." She smiled at me.

"Then you should look at my feet." I kicked them out in front of me and then slowly stood, letting out a hiss as I put my full weight on my feet, the burn slowly starting to fade the longer I stood. I started unzipping my jacket next, a little self conscious about letting them see all of this. I'd been trying to keep it hidden, but there was no way around it now. As soon as my jacket left my shoulders Colette gasped, once I took it off completely she whispered in French,

" _Oh mon Dieu. Vous pauvre fille._ "

Colette and Elodie moved to either side of me and examined my absolutely battered body, detailing all the bruises and cuts before they both started nodding, silently.

"The cut out dress." Colette was the first to speak and Elodie nodded in agreement. "It will cover most of this."

"Right," Elodie agreed and stepped toward me gently moving the straps on my tank top to get a better look at the scratching and bruising. "We have to hide all this."

Colette moved into action and Elodie gently grabbed my hands turning them palms up to showcase the zip tie burns and stitches on my palms. I started to feel hot and itchy, there were too many eyes on me and then, of course, Luc and Anya came in.

Anya stopped in the doorjamb her deep blue eyes taking in all my injuries and I swallowed hard, reaching for my jacket. Colette and Elodie paused in their organization of makeup and hair supplies and turned to see her staring as well.

"Avery?" She quietly asked, concerned, her eyebrows knitting together. I pulled my jacket back on, sharing concerned looks with everyone - so much for keeping Anya completely in the dark.

"I told you I got hurt. But I'll be fine." I calmly answered. I watched as a thousand questions crossed her face, she opened her mouth as if to ask one of them, then quickly snapped it shut and nodded. She moved over to the small desk in the corner, pulling out the chair and sitting with her hands in her lap looking expectantly at Luc.

Everyone else was still frozen, horrified that the veil of protection had slipped a little for her. Or maybe they were all terrified of how Stellan would take this. But I knew that reaction, I knew that face - I'd learned it when I was just two years older than her, at nine.

I'd seen my mother, crying at the edge of her bed, holding an envelope in her hands. It was the first time in my life that my idea of who my mother was differed from the reality of her. She'd caught me at the end of her bed, her mascara smeared under her eyes and a thousand questions had bubbled to the surface ready to explode out of me. Instead they all died in my throat as she wiped at her face, shoved the envelope under her pillow and calmly asked me what I wanted for dinner. An understanding had washed over me in that moment - there were some things I wasn't supposed to know about, for my own good. I stopped asking about the envelopes when they came.

"So why are you two joining the party?" I asked Luc and they all shook out of their stupor and bustled into action. Colette pulled the mauve roll arm bench from the foot of the bed over to where Anya was sitting and patted it for me to sit. Elodie shifted all her supplies to the desk next to us as Luc paced the floor for two turns and then shook out his hands before starting,

"I'm going to try to cram a decade of etiquette training into a half hour. So the first rule, and the most important rule," he stopped to make sure we were both watching him and stared sternly at the two of us, "stay silent."

"Silent?" I immediately retorted. He gave me the most exasperated look he could and nodded.

"The rest of us know all of this etiquette - you two don't. So just stay silent. It's a lot more menacing as well."

"But what if people are asking me…" I started Luc cut over me immediately.

"Stay silent. Let Stellan or I do all the talking." He turned his attention to Anya, "even you _la princessa_. Children should be seen and never heard."

She nodded at him, a look of intense concentration on her face and I frowned. That didn't feel right to me, I'd always been able to say exactly what I wanted whenever I wanted to. Elodie moved to face me, smearing foundation across my cheeks and blew her bangs off her forehead before commenting,

"I know this will be hard for your American sensibilities - but this is excellent advice."

I narrowed my eyes at her, she smiled demurely and smeared more foundation across my forehead.

"Second rule," Luc straightened his tie. "No one is allowed to touch you."

I felt my eyebrows shoot up toward my hairline but kept my mouth shut as Elodie started blending all the foundation on my face. Behind me I felt Colette start to brush through my tangled hair. Luc nodded and continued,

"No hand shaking. No hugs. No cheek kisses. Nothing. Most likely they will know better and they won't try. But if they do you need to step away, no matter how awkward it might be. This is a power play and you can not allow it to happen."

"A power play?" I asked, confused and then winced as Colette stuck a bobby pin in wrong behind me. Anya shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Luc ignored me and leaned toward Anya,

"Don't worry, Jackie won't let anyone get near you."

She seemed to relax a little, but her little fingers were turning white they were pressing so hard into the tops of her hands. Colette stuck me again and I shook my head to stop her and turned to Anya,

"Would you like Colette to do your hair too?"

She exhaled loudly, relieved, and nodded. I turned to Colette, she mouthed a sorry, holding up a fistful of the offending bobby pins, her face unable to hide all the worry. Luc picked right back up,

"Last rule, to keep this simple, the only people you can trust are on this plane."

I gave him a withering look - obviously the only people I could actually trust were on this plane. Everyone else I'd met had betrayed me or been a victim of my betrayals. Luc gave me an equally withering look back but then darted his eyes at Anya for a fraction of a second and I nodded and tried to sit up straighter as Elodie started lining my lips.

"Everyone will be very nice to you," Luc started back up. "They will want to give you food and drinks and presents."

I chanced a glance over at Anya as Elodie started searching through her makeup bag for lipstick. Her eyes were glued to Luc but she was bobbing slightly as Colette carefully pinned all her tangled locks into pretty pin curls at the crown of her head. She was starting to look a little overwhelmed. I couldn't blame her. There was this frenetic energy - even around Elodie - that was making this whole exchange seem like every word out of Luc's mouth had double meaning. Anya frowned a little, a sting of protectiveness twinge in my chest. I tried to ease the mood a little and drawled,

"So if I can't talk to them, and they can't touch me - what am I supposed to do about all the goodwill gifts they'll be giving me? Watch them drop to the ground? Shove Elodie into them so they can't get near me?"

Elodie let out a single, "ha."

Luc shook his head at me as Elodie grabbed my chin and started putting my lipstick on - but Anya started to giggle a little. I pushed it further,

"What if they're really nice gifts?" I rose an eyebrow as well at Luc, Elodie let out a noise of annoyance in her throat at my moving lips - Anya started to laugh, Luc glanced at her and then nodded at me, acknowledging what I'd done.

"If you _must_ shove someone," Luc replied dramatically, Anya still shaking with unshed laughter, "then push Stellan. He's the tallest and will knock over the most people."

Anya exploded with laughter and Luc smiled as Colette pulled her hands away, finished with her hair. Elodie locked eyes with me, a softness spreading over her face as she mouthed, 'thank you.' I smiled back at her and then closed my eyes as she held up the eyeliner. I took a breath and asked aloud,

"So no talking, no touching, no friends. Sounds like a fun time."

"You should repeat those again Avery. We all know you have a hard time following rules." Luc quickly retorted and my eyes flew open to glare at him as Colette and Elodie dissolved into laughter. Anya looked between all of us, confused but happy they were laughing. Elodie tapped the dull end of her eyeliner at my forehead and I closed my eyes again.

"Be silent. No one can touch me. Only trust my _sem'ya_." Anya said, her voice calm and steady now.

" _Parfait!_ " Luc clapped with his praise and I opened my eyes as Elodie pulled away. She eyed me, as if I was one brush stroke short of a masterpiece and frowned. Colette started fiddling with my hair again and I sighed.

"So what else should we expect? What happens at these things? Red carpet? Bulletproof limos? Press?"

Luc started to answer when there was a loud _DING!_ and then a voice overhead in French, most likely telling us to take our seats for the descent.

"We'll have to finish this up as we taxi." Colette offered behind me and everyone rose to move out to the bank of seats right outside our room. Stellan and Jack were already seated at the very front talking in low tones to each other. They didn't look up at us and I ducked into a seat near the back, surprised when Elodie slid in right next to me, buckling her seatbelt and taking a breath.

"We need to talk." She snapped at me, nervous. I buckled my own seatbelt and nodded for her to continue but she continued to stare straight ahead, as if preparing herself for something.

"About what?" I carefully asked turning slightly toward her. She reached into a pocket I didn't know was on her dress and pulled out Rocco's letter. The breath caught in my chest and I looked straight ahead as well.

"I have been thinking about it and I want to be the one that gives it to Samarah." She quietly answered and then chanced a look at me. Everything I usually associated with her - the bravado, the snark, the mock boredom - were all stripped away for this single truthful moment between us. I exhaled and turned back to her,

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. It seems like the right thing to do. I will accept the consequences of my action." She nearly whispered and my blood cooled instantly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I hissed at her and then looked around the seats trying to see where Anya was - close to the boys.

"Termination. Circle rules. An eye for an eye, to even the score with the...help." She choked a little on the last word, her fingers carefully tracing the edges of the envelope as she focused all her attention to it.

"Then no. You can't do it. I'll do it. Samarah can't murder me." I quickly replied. Elodie set the letter in her lap, the plane started to tip downward a little, engines and flaps squealing into place.

"It's only right." She slowly countered.

"According to the Circle!" I said a little too loudly feeling everyone look back at us for a moment and then finished more quietly. "We are not the Circle. I sent you, it was my order. I'll take the blame."

"That's not how royalty works Avery." She let out a mirthless laugh. The plane pitched a little and we both moved to ensure the letter didn't drop from her lap. With my hand on her leg, both of us holding onto something so light and yet still so heavy I quietly replied,

"You said you worked for me - not with me - because I was a Queen?"

She dropped her head, as if she already understood what I was about to say, and swallowed hard. "Yes."

"Then it's an order now. Give me the letter." I let go of it on her lap and held out my hand. She let out a disgruntled growl in her chest, staring at the letter for a long moment. The plane dipped again, land rapidly came into view from my window. Reluctantly she placed the envelope in my hands and then exhaled, her shoulders dropping and leveled a relieved look at me.

"He's lucky to have you. So is she. You're good for him." She plainly said, her face so honest she almost looked like another person to me. I was so taken aback by her comment that I stuttered a little,

"W...What?"

She rolled her eyes, all of her armor snapping back into place - the bored frown, the narrowed eyes, the exasperated huff as she brushed me off, "nevermind."

"I just...you're never nice to me. Like ever." I sputtered, still shaken from her compliment.

"I'm always nice to you. I could make you look like a prostitute but I don't." She smiled, seeming to already be back to her normal self. I shook my head and pocketed the letter in my jacket as the plane started to violently bounce around on our descent. We kept eyeing each other and then silently laughing right up until the plane touched down.

The plane was still moving, the captain hadn't even told us to take our seat belts off, and Elodie reached over and unbuckled me saying,

"Let's go, we don't have much time."

We rose and near the front saw Colette moving toward us. We piled into the room and shut the door. It all started happening in rapid fire then, their tentative and hesitant touches from before replaced with the urgency. Elodie started pinning my hair as Colette pulled out all my undergarments, looked at the charcoal black dress again and then put the bra back. I squirmed a little, worried about wearing something braless.

"I'll go get my shoes," Colette nodded at the bed, my outfit complete. She closed my luggage and then quickly left the room. Elodie pointed to the dress and then turned her back to me, cleaning up all the makeup and hair supplies. Some had spilled to the ground in our landing. I shimmied out of all my comfortable clothes, slipped on the lingerie and then the dress. It was a little tricky to get into as it was almost backless. There was only a small slip of fabric the ran across the nape of my neck and across my shoulders in a sloping curve, rounding out into my sides before coming to a point at the small of my back. I realized why they'd called it the cut out dress - the shape of missing material was an upside down teardrop. The rest of the dress was very conservative, covering up to my neck, down my arms and all the way to my knees. But having my entire back exposed, and knowing I couldn't wear a bra with it made it all that much more alluring.

When I'd finally zipped it up Colette reappeared with the shoes right as Elodie was finished rounding up all her fallen supplies into their respective bags. She gave me an appraising look, circling me as she made small noises in her throat. Then Colette closed the few steps between us and pulled me toward the full length mirror on the far wall and I gawked at the girl staring back at me. Elodie had done my eyes dramatically dark, an extreme smokey eye, with deep red lipstick that matched my nails. With my hair completely out of my face and pinned back and the darkness of the dress made my skin seem to glow with how white it was I marveled at myself. I looked older, polished, dangerous.

"Yes," Elodie locked eyes with me in the mirror. "You have to look perfect. Uninjured and painless. You can not show any weakness in this moment."

I nodded, understanding her intensity but still not gathering the whole concept of what was about to happen at this royal visit in Egypt.

"Not much we can do about her feet though." Colette gave my bandaged and battered feet another look. Elodie shrugged,

"Beauty is pain. And Avery," she waited until I turned around and looked deep into her eyes, "this is going to be painful."

"Oh, lovely," I sighed and sat down on the bed, already disliking the pinch in my feet from standing on them for that small amount of time.

"One last thing." Elodie started softly.

"What?" I pressed my fingers onto the tops of my thighs, the red shining brightly against the dark black of my dress.

"Let's not forget what you're really after here." Elodie answered, shifting her bags in her hands.

"To find the tomb?" I looked up at her, confused. She tossed the bags onto the bed before leveling her determined stare at me.

"To avenge your mother."

Everything in me hardened with a mix of sorrow and anger, so intense it burnt out all the lingering pain I was feeling.

"That!" Elodie held her palms out in front of me as if framing me in a picture. "Hold onto that feeling because that's the kind of no bullshit face you're going to need with all these _connards_."

I nodded and the door swung open to reveal Anya in a poofy red tulle dress. She looked me over for a moment and frowned.

"Avery you look pretty," she clasped her hands into the folds of her dress. "And kind of scary."

I smiled at her as Colette and Elodie lavished her with praise over her outfit. She beamed at them and then turned back to me, "ready?"

The plane was still making small movements underneath us. I chanced a glance out of one of the windows and saw the runways rippling with waves from the heat. With a small nod she moved out of the room first, followed by Colette and Elodie. I moved across the room to grab the heels Colette had left and quickly shoved my feet in. Luckily, because they were half a size bigger, they fit all the bandaging I'd already done just to wear sneakers. I gingerly stepped onto my feet hoping the bandaging would absorb a lot of the discomfort. I grit my teeth and started after them, the pain starting to dull a bit the longer I walked.

I entered the main seating area to see the boys in a line, everyone dressed and ready. Stellan had on a deep red tie against his charcoal suit that gave off the air of danger, I glanced at my nails and realized the colors almost matched. It was fitting that the color all three of us were going to be received in was red - since it was our blood that made us all so special in the first place.

There was a silent pause as we all looked at each other, everyone in variations of red and black and incredibly formal. Stellan reached into his pocket and closed the few steps between us. I watched as Anya's eyes went wide and she pressed her lips together trying to contain her excitement. Even with these heels on I still had to look up into his face as he smirked and then reached out to grab my left hand.

" _Lyubov' moya_ _,_ if the Order won't protect you unless you are married to me," he pulled a small black box out of his pocket and my heart leapt into my throat as my stomach dropped out. "And the Circle won't recognize me unless I'm married to you."

He flicked open the box with his left thumb and turned it toward me giving a quick press to my left ring finger. The rest of the plane fuzzed out around me as I stared at the three rings. They were all gleaming white gold, one plain thick band, one plain thin band, and one ring with a huge diamond on it. I felt the breath come out of my mouth, shallow and quick and swallowed hard. On the one hand I had already told him yes, on the other hand I'd been turning him down for months. We'd proven we didn't have to be married to fulfill the mandate, but the Circle didn't know that. He'd be protecting me just as much as I'd be protecting him.

Despite my hesitation Stellan didn't seem nervous. Did I really expect him to be? We both knew this was the logical next step, a moment of hesitation wasn't going to deter him. There was only one reason I would have told him no, and that was the fact that I still had moments where I couldn't look directly into his face after everything that had happened in Luc's shower in Ibiza. Our actual relationship, not partnership, was still so new I'd be stupid to marry him. It had the makings of some kind of reality TV show. He pressed my empty ring finger again and I snapped back to reality, the plane coming back into focus. I smiled at the rings and nodded before looking up into his face again,

"Yes. Of course."

Everyone seemed to let out a collective breath of relief and Anya inched toward us a little to get a better look. He pulled out all three bands, sliding them onto his pointer finger and then pocketed the box. He held his pointer out toward me. I slipped the thicker band off his finger and then grabbed his left hand and slowly pushed the band up over his knuckle, giving his hand a squeeze before dropping it. He sucked in a breath, raising his eyebrows at me and then he pulled my left hand back up and slid the plain band up my finger before he let out the breath he'd been holding. I watched his face as he slipped the diamond ring on right after and all the anxiety I felt broke apart in my chest. He looked just as terrified as I felt.

Anya moved even closer to us, my locket clenched in her fist as she pressed it against her chest. Stellan turned my hand toward her so she could see the rings and she started nodding approvingly,

"That was my mother's ring." She quietly told me, giving the locket another squeeze before letting it go. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the rest of the group snap their attention to Anya's comment and nodded to her, my eyes landing on my own heirloom,

"I'll take good care of it."

She smiled at me and then Stellan took a little half step toward me to drop a kiss against my temple right as the pressure in the cabin abruptly shifted. My ears popped and the door opened letting in a rush of heat and humidity. Luc fluttered into action, moving toward the door to be the first out, Colette quickly moved up to Anya and held out her hand which Anya gladly took as they were the next to exit. Elodie and Jack silently slid in front of us, both checking their concealed weapons before leaving us. Stellan squeezed my hand and then slid it up to rest in the crook of his elbow,

"Ready wifey?"

I tried to see what I was about to walk out to but everything was blinding bright outside. I squeezed Stellan's bicep and moved closer to him trying to absorb the effortless calm he was exuding when I remembered what Elodie had told me. My mother. The anger rushed through me and I straightened next to him.

"Ready husband."

Stellan squared his shoulders and we exited the plane together.

* * *

A/N: This one had quite a few edits so big ups to maidenpride on this one. :)

 **Chapter Soundtrack**

Starboy - The Weeknd ft. Daft Punk


	17. Chapter 17

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN**

As soon as my slightly wobbly feet hit the tarmac I struggled to keep my poker face on at the absolute assault of humidity and sun. The heat was breaking free of the asphalt to try and boil us from the shoes up. Stellan immediately pulled a pair of sunglasses out of his pocket and put them on and I tried not to groan at my oversight. Sunglasses would have been optimal since my headache had come screaming back behind my eyes. We came to a stop in front of the line of dignitaries and Elodie reached across Stellan to pass me her sunglasses which I gratefully took.

The sweat started to bead all across my body and forehead. I tried to ignore it and focus on the pomp and circumstance happening in front of me. There was a long line of men, dressed in military regalia each giving an introduction before giving us a small bow. Sweat was dripping off their faces, but they completely ignored it. The President took a step toward us as he made his introduction and Stellan's bicep flexed under my hand, I squeezed him back both to calm him and reassure myself and felt the rings press into my other fingers. That was going to take some getting used to.

Since I wasn't allowed to say anything I just continued to blankly stare at everyone as they moved down the line and marveled at how everything looked wavy and wonky in the distance. When the line finally made it's way down to Samarah, the only woman, she moved toward us and gestured toward the hanger.

"On behalf of the Emir family I am honored to receive you. Let's move the rest of this out of the heat, yes?"

There was a chorus of yeses and we started to move. The President pulled up next to us as we walked and gave us a wide smile,

"It's too bad you've come today. It is the hottest day we've ever had on record. The heat is supposed to break by the weekend."

I rolled my eyes from behind my glasses, of course we came during a heat wave - that was just our luck. The setting sun was still so hot it was burning my exposed back as we walked across the tarmac. My dress started to feel warm to the touch it was absorbing so much of the heat. I wobbled a little in my heels again, but Stellan pulled me closer to hide it as he commented back,

"It has been a little warmer than usual."

"You were in Spain, correct? So much travel for a honeymoon." He smiled again. It seemed so genuine that the word honeymoon didn't hit my ears until a moment later. I was on my _honeymoon_? Was that part of the plan that they had to keep such a secret from me? I took in a deep breath trying to stop the outburst of laughter. Stellan put his other hand over the one squeezing his bicep and let out a nervous laugh,

"Whatever the wife wants."

The President let out a large laugh as we moved into the hanger through double doors. The blast of air conditioning was absolutely blissful. Everyone let out a sigh of relief and moved immediately further into the building. We were in a small but opulent reception area with several plush leather couches with tables of food and drinks on ice. The men filled one side of the room, furthest from the food and the rest of us moved toward the refreshments. Luc deftly slid an arm over Anya's shoulders pulling her back from the sweating, ice cold, bottles of water.

"Please, feel free," Samarah gestured toward the water. I swallowed myself, feeling dehydrated already from that small amount of time in the elements.

"We couldn't. It would be disrespectful." Luc gave her a little nod. All the medals jingled on the outfits of the generals as they nodded in agreement.

"But of course, this was made especially for you." Samarah tried again, smiling toward us. I was glad my sunglasses were still on because I kept darting my eyes between Samarah's benevolent smile, Luc's grateful reluctance and Anya's thirst, absolutely confused as to what was happening in front of me.

"It's already so close to sundown. We can wait." Luc declined again. I leaned against Stellan a little trying to take some pressure off my feet and felt him lean toward me a bit to brace my efforts.

"You are too kind. But I must insist for the _'amira_." Samarah let her arm swing wide this time toward the spread, the bangles on her wrist shaking under her abaya.

"If you insist," Luc smiled and released Anya. She stood there, confused, I couldn't blame her, until Luc gave her a little shove toward the water bottles. As soon as she cracked it open and took a sip the awkwardness of the situation ebbed a little and the President turned to us again.

"I've been told you will be traveling to Alexandria tomorrow?"

Quiet conversations started in Arabic between the remaining dignitaries and military members across from us as our group remained silent. Only Anya was making small noises of excitement as she sampled all the food. I was still confused as to why I wasn't allowed to drink some water, especially since I had been dangerously dehydrated only a few days ago, but I kept silent. I tried to swallow again, my throat dry from the exposure and the lack of humidity from the air conditioning. Anya's sweating waterbottle was looking more tempting by the minute. Stellan dropped my hand with a squeeze and I tried to shift my weight onto the parts of my feet that weren't burning with pain. Elodie had been right, as usual.

"We are. Not sure if we'll stick to that plan though," Stellan smiled his Circle smile at him.

"We stayed in Morocco for my honeymoon. This was many years ago when I was still just an ambitious man with big dreams." The President lamented, crossing his arms over his chest to reveal a giant gold watch under his expensive suit.

"I believe it's Bali after this." Stellan casually replied, "though Morocco is beautiful."

I chanced a glance at Colette and Elodie behind my glasses only to be met with warning looks from Elodie silently willing me to follow the rules. My foot cramped from standing awkwardly on it for so long and I tried to stretch through the cramp before giving up and taking a small step backward toward the couch behind us.

"You should be sure to visit the library in Alexandria tomorrow." The President commented his eyes following my step toward the couch. Stellan's arm snaked out and he quickly pulled me back to his side, nodding,

"Of course, and Fort Qaitbey?"

His fingers bit into my hip and I received the message - stop moving around so much. I pressed into him more, shifting my weight to try and alleviate the cramp hoping he received my message in return.

"Yes, yes." The President nodded and looked at his watch before turning to Samarah. "Are the cars ready?"

"Of course," Samarah smiled tightly at him the bead work on her headscarf catching in the lights from above us as she ducked her head a little.

"Shall we go?" The President called out to the remaining group and with a few nods everyone moved toward the front of the hanger. Stellan kept his iron grip on my hip as I limped along next to him trying to stretch out the cramp and failing. My calves were starting to burn from the effort as we followed them.

The line of SUV's were imposing. The windows were all limo glass, reflecting the setting sun back at us as we approached. Men in military uniforms exited the driver side of each car in unison and then opened the doors for all of us. Most of the dignitaries and generals slipped into the first three cars followed by the rest of our group into another. Stellan and I watched as Jack let Colette and Luc in first before instructing Elodie in and then lifted Anya up to the car before locking eyes with us and ducking in. I could feel the wave of panic ripple through Stellan into me as we watched the door shut. She'd be fine. We'd be fine. Everything was fine. Right?

"Shall we?" Samarah gestured toward our open door and Stellan and I stepped in followed by the President of Egypt and the remaining heir of the Emir Family.

* * *

The car ride through Cairo was mostly silent, and I was grateful for it. I stretched my aching feet, flexing my toes to release the tension in my calves and watched the city swirl past as we barreled through. At first it was blurs of sand colored buildings, halted construction, small cars and setting sun that light the sky with dusty pinks and oranges. But whenever we'd have to stop I could see glimpses of the life here. Huge displays of beautiful, colorful lanterns all gloriously lit to entice the crowds. Stalls and sidewalk displays of treats and trinkets, displays of fruits and vegetables that were all being set up for the crowd of buyers slowly gathering around. There were glass bulb string lights that hung around porches and between buildings. The sequins and beading on the headscarves were catching on all the lights as people greeted each other in the streets with hugs and cheek kisses. It was an eclectic gathering of people in traditional Muslim dress mixing with men and women in contemporary clothes. Everyone was happy and through the air conditioning I could pick up the smell of cooking bread and spices I couldn't quite place.

"Ramadan," Samarah's voice softly entered the silence of the car and I looked at her and nodded. "It's almost time to break the fast."

"Which is why we're in such a rush to get to the resort." The President smiled at us again before turning his attention back to the road. Ahead of us there was a smattering of graffiti in Arabic as well as peeling posters coming off the walls of an abandoned storefront. The car picked up speed, swerving around traffic to cut it's own path with the rest of the convoy and I could have sworn one of the posters had the face of the President. As we pulled up to the front of the resort the call to prayer filled the air and reverberated through the car itself. Samarah and the President froze and Stellan put a hand on my knee to stop me as we all listened to it ringing through the small space. When it finished there was a long moment of silence, amplified by the soundproofing of the SUV before the President let out a noise in his throat and opened his door quickly stepping out.

The other doors all opened at once and Stellan helped me out of the car to the front of the Le Meridien Pyramids. There were several flags flying on the roof of the entrance, which I didn't find to be all that impressive, to be honest. His guiding hand slid across to my exposed back as he gently turned me to the right and I actually gasped - The Great Pyramids of Giza rose above the sand dunes in the distance, dark points jutting into the sky and backlit by the setting sun. I blinked and they were suddenly flooded with light from the bottom illuminating their shape. The sight of them, mixed with the blushed red sky was striking.

"Oh, wow." I whispered, in awe, and saw Samarah and the President turn in my direction as well.

"You forget how impressive they are when you see them so often." He sighed a little and then nodded at us and moved into the lobby. Stellan ran his thumb in a little circle across all my exposed back and I tore my eyes away only to see Anya standing there looking just as awestruck as I felt.

"There is a better view inside the resort," Samarah said with a little chuckle in her direction and we all followed her inside. We moved through the sleek and modern lobby, filled with guests. It was a mix of tourists dressed down in t-shirts and shorts lounging in the lobby and guests dressed in formal attire moving in one specific direction. It sounded like a party was already underway to our left, the sounds of light music and clanking dishes reaching us. Samarah turned right and we moved through a well furnished sitting area and out onto a massive pool deck.

The pool was the size of a small apartment complex and took up the majority of the space. It had it's own sunken covered bar toward the center and smaller pools adjacent to it in sweeping curves that held white lounge chairs on every inch of real estate. I frowned as we passed, wishing I could jump in Louboutin's and all. The whole space was lit festively with purples, reds, greens and blues. The music pumping through the outdoor system was making quite a few of the guests give some experimental shakes of their hips to the drums. As we hit the top of the pool area Samarah stopped and gestured out past the palm trees and the rapidly growing crowd. The Great Pyramids rose above it all, behind a treeline and a sand dune. Anya quickly made her way over to Stellan and started asking him questions in rapid fire Russian that even he seemed to have some difficulty following judging by his squeezes on her shoulder to slow her down.

As he answered her questions Samarah and the President turned to our group smiling. He tried to reach out a hand and then thought better of it and gave us all a small bow,

"A pleasure to meet you all. I hope you enjoy your time in Egypt. I must join the party now."

He then turned directly to me and snatched up my left hand before I could take a step back. Everyone froze, unsure exactly what to do. He pressed a kiss to the knuckle on my ring finger and gave my hand a squeeze as he lowly commented,

"Enjoy your _honeymoon_ in Alexandria. I do hope we have the chance to meet again."

He dropped my hand just as quickly as he'd grabbed it, Samarah let out a nervous laugh and without another look back the President of Egypt dissolved into the sea of people and the party that had formed around us. The sun set behind us, the pyramids were suddenly lit against the darkening sky and I looked down at my left hand to see it shaking, the diamond catching in one of the purple lights next to us.

"Let's go," Stellan snapped, his hand finding my bare back again and then our group was moving, tight and fast through the celebratory crowd. We weaved around waiters holding trays of cucumber water, couples chatting and lounging on chairs in the shallow end of the pool, platters of appetizers being passed around, until we came to a small gate surrounded by huge palm fronds and foliage. I would have missed the gate, or written it off as some kind of utility gate, if Samarah hadn't stepped right up to it and pulled out a key.

With a turn we were all ushered inside, the door locked again behind us, and I looked out at a private home inside the resort. There was a two story building, every light on inside, with a giant square pool filling the majority of what I could only call a back yard. There was lush grass, cushioned love seats, wicker lounge chairs and small glass tables circling the pool. Glass bulb string lights criss crossed above us lighting the space and leading us toward the back patio and the entrance to the home. An oasis in the middle of the desert.

"I had to promise quite a few things to the King of Jordan to secure this for you. It's very hard to find secluded space for a group this big." Samarah gave us a smile and then nodded toward the patio where a half dozen waiters were bringing out a spread of food to the outdoor table. My stomach growled in response and Anya giggled next to me.

"You have outdone yourself Samarah." Luc smiled back and moved toward the spread immediately opening a bottle of water. We all followed suit drinking, snacking and checking out the space. Jack, Elodie and Stellan were still on edge, their eyes wandering every inch of the place as they absently sipped water. After a few minutes the waiters moved the appetizers into the main living room arranging them on the gigantic lower than usual coffee table that was surrounded by the strangest looking couches I'd ever seen. They were on the floor, heavily padded and filled with decorative pillows. If you laid down on them it would be very easy to lean over and pick up some food from the table, but I wondered how I was supposed to sit comfortably in this dress.

As we all started to settle around the couches I watched as Colette and Elodie folded themselves into some kind of modest origami and I sighed, defeated already.

"Just sit," Stellan whispered at me and as I lowered myself to the bed/chair he shrugged out of his jacket and laid it over my lap before settling right next to me. The waiters dropped off more food and drinks onto the table and disappeared into the background, only to be replaced by men with giant assault rifles. I tensed but Samarah just slowly removed some of her hajeb, leaving her hair covered and fanned herself.

"I am so sorry about the heat. I know there isn't much I could do about that but still." She fanned herself again and then looked at a security guard that was closest to her and gave him an order in Arabic. I pulled at the neckline of my dress trying to let some of my own heat escape. He nodded, pressed his ear to reiterated it and we all heard the air conditioning kick on. "Everyone in this building is mine. I brought them from Saudi."

"Of course." Luc nodded and took a handful of olives before leaning back onto his couch with Colette. I adjusted my jacket over my lap and eyed the food wishing I could lean down and grab some myself but it seemed impossible. I'd have to lean onto my palms to get some and that wasn't an option, plus the whole exposing myself situation. I crossed my arms over my chest and looked over at Jack and Elodie's couch, they were sitting very close to each other and stiff with anxiety. Despite Samarah seeming to unwind every minute we were in this living room the rest of our group remained on edge.

There was a crescendo of noise right outside our protective wall that quickly turned into clapping and then what sounded like fireworks. I looked through the window but all you could see was the brick wall covered by palm fronds. My stomach growled again and I pressed my arms deeper into my chest trying to stop it. Anya moved closer to the food and worked through three pieces of watermelon before she turned to Samarah and brightly asked,

"So you have a party every night during Ramadan?"

Samarah smiled at her for a long moment, her eyes getting a bit glassy before she blinked away and then answered,

"Not every night in our homes, but at a place like this resort I think they do have a party every night. Would you like me to find you some fireworks as well?" She rose her arm gesturing toward the guard and Anya immediately shook her head.

"No, thank you."

My stomach growled a third time and Stellan eyed me from the side before reaching down and grabbing a plate full of different kinds of hummus and pita triangles. I didn't even bother to thank him, just dug into the food. Samarah looked out toward the pool, contemplating for a moment before turning back to Anya,

"If you didn't want to celebrate with fireworks there is a movie theater in the basement here. It has all the refreshments you'd like and you can see any movie you can think of."

"Even _Inside Out_?" Anya asked incredulously.

"Especially that," Samarah smiled, glassy eyed again and I paused in my food inhalation. She must have been thinking of her little brother. Flashes of him standing stick straight and serious faced at their Family's compound bombarded me. I swallowed hard suddenly feeling like I was going to throw up. I handed the plate back to Stellan and pointed to some water.

He handed it to me, eyeing me, before his attention turned to Anya.

" _Mogu ya?_ " She quietly asked and he nodded. Samarah gave her order to the guard and he broke rank from the window and started toward the hallway, pausing as Anya rounded all our couches toward him. Stellan gave Jack a single nod and he rose holding out his hand to Elodie,

"Come with me El."

She nodded and the two of them flanked Anya followed by the armed guard toward the theater below us. Stellan turned to Samarah with an apologetic look,

"My apologies Samarah. You have ensured excellent security for us. I just need Anya to get used to the idea of having a...Keeper."

The last word came out slowly, as if he hadn't considered it that way before this very moment. I felt my stomach turn with worry for him. He'd spent her whole life hiding what he was to protect her, and now that's exactly what was protecting her. Luc picked up the confused tension and tried to diffuse the mood,

"I hope you didn't have to offer too much to King Abdullah for just a day here."

Samarah waved him off, taking a sip of her water before grabbing some grapes from the table. "He was more curious than anything. It took more work trying to keep the visitors a secret than convincing him to leave."

"I suppose you could have said it was for me." Colette offered.

"I did, that's why he had so many questions. It would appear that you and Avery are forever linked now. The mysterious American Saxon turned Circle savior." She gave us a wide smile as she teased and then relaxed back onto her couch. "I know you really wanted to be in Alexandria, but this was going to be the easiest place to meet with President el-Sisi before you moved on."

"It was an excellent choice." Luc quickly praised. The room grew quiet as the party grew louder outside. I shifted in my seat and felt my clutch poke into my side and I was instantly flooded with dread remembering what was inside it - Rocco's letter. I'd managed to get it into the clutch without having to bend it at all, so careful to keep it as pristine as Elodie had. Now all I wanted to do was toss aside the purse so I didn't have to do this.

When I'd taken the burden off of Elodie's shoulders about this I hadn't taken into account how heavy it would feel when I was staring at Samarah. Stellan leaned into me a little, sensing my panic and then reached between us to thread his fingers with my own. Everything in me calmed, clearing all the panic away so I could think. I had to do this, it was the right thing to do, and I had created this issue in the first place. I had given the order to bring Anya back. I hadn't expected that would have been the circumstances that ensured it, but I don't think any of us had - even Lydia. I gave his hand a squeeze and then released it to pull my clutch into my lap and then open it to carefully pull out the letter. I moved to the edge of my seat, Stellan's suit jacket falling toward the ground, letting the edges of the paper poke into my fingertips before I took a big breath.

"There is another reason we are here, Samarah." I stood and walked toward her holding out the letter. She smiled, ever gracious, and looked at the envelope. The smile quickly fell off her face and the bangles on her arm shook a little as she reached for it, gently setting it in her lap.

Her fingers traced the name on the front and she swallowed hard and looked up at me, her eyes shining. I held my breath as I tried to remember all the pieces of what I wanted to say to her.

"We had our differences, but he was loyal to the end. He helped Stellan and I escape the Saxons, he stayed on as a double agent for us. His last act for our Family was to protect Anya. His sacrifice will not be forgotten." I took a breath, everything trying to shake on me. I was nervous, I was upset, I was angry. But most importantly I was worried, worried we had taxed her with something that was too much to bare. She blinked and a fat tear rolled down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away before looking down at the letter again.

My feet burned from standing on them for so long today but I held my ground, digging my nails into the palms of my hands so I could distract myself. She looked up again,

"It's no longer a taboo when everyone does it."

I rose an eyebrow at her in question, she gestured to the seat next to her which I gratefully took.

"The daughter always falls for the Keeper." She gave me a sad smile and then looked pointedly at Stellan, and then Jack's empty seat. I felt myself flush with embarrassment and shifted in my seat. "But Rocco understood me. He understood I was destined for more than the archaic power transfer a daughter represents in the Circle. I had the best education possible, I have the most connections between families because of my social presence and charity work. I speak four languages and run a non-profit for refugees. But all my father and brother saw me as was a power play."

The room was quiet for a very long time. Just the sounds of the Ramadan party outside and the hum of the air conditioner. Samarah fingered the edge of the envelope again before sighing,

"We were foolish enough to think we could change that. Foolish enough to think he could be mine without consequence. Which is why my father had to make an example out of me for all the other daughters of the Circle. To remind us what happens when we forget our _place_." She spit out the last word like it tasted bad in her mouth.

"No more." I broke in, feeling everyone's eyes on me but zeroing my focus onto Samarah alone. "Once I'm in power that's not going to happen anymore. Everything is going to change."

Samarah nodded and then leaned back in her seat letting out a long breath,

"There were whispers of course. I didn't want to believe them. It would hurt too much to think…" she stopped and trailed off and I pieced it together myself. If he hadn't died when she was forced to kill him that meant he'd been working for the Saxons when they'd attacked their compound. She wiped at her face again before looking up, "thank you."

"I'm sorry, Samarah." I quietly offered, anything to curb the balloon of worry that was about to pop in my chest. She waved me off, fingering the lettering on the front of the envelope again before shaking her head as if to clear it and calmly starting,

"Both historically and realistically speaking you are staging a coup. You are rejecting the existing power to replace it with your own - mandate or no. Not everyone is ready to fall in line to that."

We all looked at each other for a moment then focused on Stellan who had every inch of armor on now - calm and collected spread across the couch. I held my breath wishing you couldn't always read everything on my face.

"And you are both so young. That means you will be in power for the rest of their lives. I'm not saying that is bad. I have been waiting for this day. Obviously our generation is ready for this," she looked at Luc pointedly. "But it is a hard sell unless certain factors come into play."

"Like what?" I cautiously asked.

"A show of power. No matter what's in the tomb. You have to demonstrate that you have the ability to rule without supernatural enhancements." She pat the letter again before looking up at Stellan.

He pressed his lips together, seeming to already know what she was getting at. Samarah took a long sip of water and then looked me straight in the eyes and finished,

"You have to kill your whole family."

There was only a beat before I confidently answered, "that was already part of the plan."

"No." She bit her lip, her eyes losing focus as she stared at the fruit before looking back up at me. "All of the remaining heirs to the Saxons, not just your immediate family. There can only be you or no one will recognize your accession to rule. You won't be able to access all their wealth and power."

"How...many...people…" I stumbled and stuttered as the gravity of what she was suggesting hit me with wave after wave of panic.

Samarah rose a single, perfectly sculpted, eyebrow as she thought about it and then nodded as she answered, "I believe it's 15."

The loud crunch of the water bottle collapsing in Stellan's clenched fist was matched only by Colette's gasp. I took a stuttering breath as I processed this and Samarah looked toward the ceiling, recounting before nodding.

"I will...take that into...consideration." I choked out. Samarah frowned at me,

"Perhaps you aren't ready for that step just yet. But it is coming, Avery. It happened in World War I. It happened in World War II. I am not suggesting you are starting World War III, though that is the prevailing rumor. It's the perfect time to strike with so many male heirs dead. That and the ridiculous age gap mandate puts any other heirs in primary school or younger." She paused letting out a contemplative noise, so casually, as if we were making dinner plans. "All I'm suggesting is that you consider this so it is known to the entire Circle that if you cross the 13th...they will murder your whole Family."

A perfect stillness filled the room as we each considered this. Was she right? Was this what I'd have to do? I hadn't thought that far ahead. We'd just been so focused on finding the tomb, I'd been so focused on my vengeance against my siblings. What was going to happen after? How were Stellan and I going to actually pull this off? Samarah cleared her throat to break up the silence.

"Of course to say these things aloud in mixed company is grounds for treason in the Circle. Swift Termination to anyone who even whispers it. But when in Egypt." She shrugged and looked down at the letter in her lap again.

"Or Rome." I nervously laughed. Samarah looked at me, curiously, and then at Stellan. He took a long drink from his destroyed water bottle not making eye contact and she smiled and stood,

"You must be tired. Let me show you to your rooms."

I jumped up, ready to leave the whole resort if we had to. Samarah gave some directions to her guards and pointed to her left,

"I believe all the guest rooms are down that way, I'll have Ahmed escort you."

"Thank you," Luc quietly said and I saw him adjust his belt, and holster, before threading his arm through Colette's and escorting her along with assault rifle clad Ahmed far away from us down the hall. A flash of panic swelled in my chest as I watched them go. We should all stick together. This felt like a trap. Stellan smoothed his hand down my back and I pressed into his touch, trying to calm down.

"The honeymoon suite is this way," Samarah nodded to the right and with a pointed look at two of her guards escorted the two of us down toward large, solid oak double doors. "Please enjoy. Let me know if you need anything at all."

" _Shukran_ _._ " Stellan replied, Samarah gave him a surprised smile and barked out an order to the guards in Arabic before turning the corner and leaving us there. He wasted no time and practically shoved me into the room, locking the door behind himself. I took a few steps away from him and sat down hard on an overstuffed leather couch. The panic was making my hands and feet feel numb. We had to get out of here and everyone was scattered in this prison house. I watched Stellan as he made a slow circle seeming to be admiring the room, but the tense line of his shoulders and his clenched jaw told me there was something here. My eyes darted around the room and I saw the first camera in the corner. Oh god, we were being watched as well. This really was a prison. Had this all been some horrible mistake? Was Samarah our enemy or our ally? I couldn't tell after that conversation.

He finally made his way back and sat next to me on the couch lowly whispering,

"You saw the cameras?"

"Of course," I breathed back and then reached down and pulled off the shoes. My feet throbbed with relief and I couldn't help the groan that came out as I leaned back into the leather. To my utmost surprise Stellan moved flush against me, running his hand down my thigh as he leaned in close to my neck.

"Avery, we're all in danger here," he whispered in my ear.

"Oh you fucking think?" I hissed at him. "Was it the armed guards or Samarah suggesting I murder 20 people?"

"We told Samarah we were coming from Italy," he swallowed hard, "but the President knew we'd come from Spain." He murmured against my neck.

"What?" I stilled. "What are you.."

From the far side of the room I saw guards pass in front of the sheer curtains, their guns making their shadows look bulky on one leg. Then at the bedroom door we heard the two guards that had been left with us lowly chatting with each other.

"He's been spying on us." He whispered again, his fingers clenching around my thigh and I sucked in a sharp breath. I looked up at the camera in the corner again and he guided my face toward his own, kissing my jaw before murmuring, "don't look at them. You're supposed to be stupid."

"Stupid?" I grumbled at him.

"We kept you in the dark about Egypt so you wouldn't panic and blow our cover."

"What the hell are you talking about?" I seethed at him and tried to move away but he pinned me in place, a flash of panic crossing his face before he ducked toward my neck again and it clicked into place. I wasn't supposed to know any of this, I was supposed to be on my honeymoon. I relaxed in his hands and he loosened his grip and started whispering against my skin,

"No Family controls Egypt. It is lawless, since Alexander the Great's death. Loyalty is sold to the highest bidder. That's why the Emir's rule from Saudi. Samarah took a huge risk meeting us here."

"Then what's the problem with him knowing?" I ran my hand across the back of his neck. He slipped away from me, only so he could pull me to standing and lead me to the bed. I hobbled along, my feet stabbing with pain, and he picked me up for the last few steps and deposited me on the bed, reaching for a remote that sent the room into darkness.

We could see the guards still outlined from all the lights of the party just outside our privacy wall. Stellan yanked at the covers and pulled them down with a flourish sending a flood of pillows to the ground with the motion. He kicked off his shoes and moved toward me, leaning me back onto my elbows as he pressed into me and whispered,

"The President knowing our plans is not a good thing. He basically told me he knows exactly where we're going."

"You got all that chatting about our _fake_ honeymoon?" I fumed beneath him. He at least had the decency to frown quickly before pressing his lips together,

"People don't come back from Egypt, Avery. If it's because they were killed, deserters, or just disappear. Things happen here…"

"Because of the Order?" I whispered. He shrugged and then his eyes shot wide open in the dark and he lowly rumbled,

"And then he kissed your ring!"

"So?" I tried to move up the bed and away from him so we could get under these covers. Even in the dark I could tell we were still exposed and it was making my skin crawl.

"You are a Queen! It's a very symbolic gesture. Think about it!" He huffed at me and with a rough grab of the sheets pulled them down and then over us. He pulled them up so high over us it almost covered my head. Under the false sense of security the sheets gave me I couldn't help the wave of panic that made me start to breath quickly and shallowly.

You kissed a ring to show fidelity. He was, in effect, the ruler of a Family-less country. That had spies everywhere. That knew why we were here and where we were going. Which meant everyone knew why we were here and where we were going - because we'd found the tomb from our Order clue. Which meant Cole and Lydia were going to be here. We were at the end of this. Everyone was in grave danger.

"Oh god," I whimpered and closed my eyes trying to keep it together but my whole body started to shake. I couldn't even tell why anymore. Was it the exhaustion from all the travel? The detox from all the pain killers? The panicky need to find everyone and make them all sleep in this bed so I knew they were safe?

"Shh, shh, shh _lyubov' moya,_ " he whispered and pressed a hard kiss to my forehead. I tried to relax but everything in me was telling me to flee this place. I realized instantly why no one had said anything before, all of my confidence would have been compromised. The walls could hear us, the ceiling was watching us, the guards were shadowing us and the only person we thought we could trust can't even trust her own people because of where we were. Lawless. Egypt was lawless which meant it was also consequence less. You could betray your Family and nothing would happen to you.

" _Khorosho?_ " Stellan whispered to me, the Russian shaking me from my panic spiral. I looked up into his wide, blue, determined eyes and nodded whispering back,

" _Da._ " The crushing weight of everything that _could_ have gone wrong lifting the longer I looked at him. Everyone was still here and safe. If only for this small moment of time.

He smiled, despite the worry on his face and then leaned forward again to whisper,

"You understand why I didn't tell you?"

"I do," I whispered back. He nodded, his face relieved, and snaked his hand out to run it down my back. His fingers toyed with the edges of the cutout on my dress before his low voice rumbled in his chest as he said,

"I don't want you to worry. I'll protect you. I won't let anything happen to you, Avery."

"I know." I murmured back and then leaned forward press a small kiss to his nose.

"Whatever we find here...whatever happens…" he continued and I ran my hand up to the side of his face, raking my fingers through his hair as he closed his eyes and nodded.

"We do it together." I finished for him. He relaxed a little as my fingers continued to weave through his hair and lightly touch his neck. After a minute or so he opened his eyes and turned his head to kiss my palm.

He nodded and pulled me to him and I wrapped myself around him, my legs entangling with his, my head nestling under his chin, my arm around his waist.

"Sleep, I'll wake you if I get tired." He murmured into my hair and I closed my eyes and took a slow, lung filling breath finally feeling safe again. He pulled me closer, shifted a little to reached for his phone and adjusted me again before he started to type. I buried my face into his neck and quickly fell asleep.

* * *

A/N: Big thank you to my editing team. So happy you stuck around this long. :)

 **CHAPTER SOUNDTRACK**

Youm El Wadaa - George Wassouf

El Alem Alla - Amr Diab

Tamally Maak - Amr Diab


	18. Chapter 18

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN**

"And then the island crashes and she falls back down. Are you even listening to me?" Anya complained and I shook awake and stared at her, nudging Stellan with my elbow.

"Yes. Island." He quickly retorted back and pushed his food away. He hadn't been able to eat breakfast either it would seem. Anya rolled her eyes at him from across the table and then crossed her arms over her chest.

"So who crashed into the island?"

"The happy one?" He cautiously replied. She smirked a little, complacent for the moment and turned her attention to me.

"Who did she leave behind?"

"Ahhhh," I stalled and glanced at Jack sitting next to her across from us and he shook his head. Elodie swept into the room, rubbing at her eyes and yawning before leaning on the back of Jack's chair.

"Bing Bing or something ridiculous like that." She answered for me. Anya turned to her, annoyed and narrowed her eyes,

"That's not his name!"

"You're not ready. We're going to leave you behind if you don't hurry up." Elodie countered and Anya reached over and grabbed a piece of toast before darting off toward her room. Elodie spilled into her vacant seat and then gave Jack a nod. He reached forward and poured her a cup of coffee.

"Long night?" Luc eyed them curiously.

"Did _you_ have to watch some ridiculous children's movie?" Elodie answered, paying attention to her coffee.

"Ridiculous?" Jack rose an eyebrow at her and then smiled. "So you _did_ cry about Bing Bing."

She kicked him under the table, all the plates and cups jostled with Jack's reaction and we all stopped pretending to eat to watch them both more carefully. Were they...flirting with each other?

" _Allez faire votre travail_." Elodie snapped at him and then took a long drink of coffee. Jack rubbed at his leg and then got up and moved in the direction Anya had gone. I looked at Stellan, thinking maybe I'd been reading the exchange wrong but he was eyeing Elodie suspiciously. Her shoulders tensed, feeling everyone staring at her, and then she set her mug down and smiled at us all,

"It would appear no one died last night."

We all looked away and the mood shifted right back to the silent unease that had filled the morning. I'd woken up three times in the night, shifting around until I was flush with some part of Stellan again, finally waking up for good around 4AM. All the time changes, the uncomfortable dress and my still broken body ensured I couldn't fall back asleep. Instead I'd just scrolled aimlessly on my phone, allowing Stellan to wrap himself around me again whenever he'd needed to and listening to the call to prayer before the rest of the house had finally woken up.

We were intending on going to Alexandria in the morning. The heat wave was still in full effect and having to be outside was only advisable in the morning and right before sundown. We'd opted for the morning, the helicopters were going to arrive at 7AM. I checked my phone again, Elodie was right, we were a half hour out to leave for Alexandria. Everyone was on edge, Anya's constant chatter was the only reason anyone had said a single word since we'd changed and sat at the table. I'd tried to find the most comfortable clothes I owned and settled on a tshirt and jeans with flats. My feet were still swollen from all the abuse the day before, but it was a little more bearable in these shoes.

Anya came barreling back into the room followed closely by Jack who was carrying her luggage like it didn't weigh anything.

"Are we going to go to the library?" She brightly asked moving around the table to stand next to Stellan. He frowned down at his untouched coffee,

"Not this trip. We are here for a very specific reason. Perhaps another time."

"Okay," she quietly responded, deflating a little. Stellan took a breath as if he was about to contradict himself when the sliding glass door opened to reveal Samrah and two of her armed guards. Anya slid closer to Stellan and I kept my focus on Samarah. I suppose I had expected her to look changed after everything that'd happened last night, but she remained gracious smiles and polite tones as she calmly asked,

"Are you ready? I've saved the best seat for the ' _amira._ "

Anya clapped with excitement and worry rolled in the pit of my stomach. She shouldn't be coming with us. We shouldn't be exposed her to all this, even though we had no other options. I looked at her bouncing curls and felt lost on how to protect her from what was about to possibly happen. But I did know one thing, there was no way in hell I was letting her stay here. I slid my hand across my hip until it hit the small of my back, where my gun was currently holstered. Stellan had made sure my shirt covered it before we left the room this morning. Feeling it there I nodded,

"All set." I answered Samarah and heard the rest of the group move to stand behind me.

* * *

Where Cairo had the pyramids to marvel at, the expanse of desert spreading out after it - Alexandria was hugged by the sea. It was as if they trusted that it would never betray them and built centuries of buildings as close as possible to the water. A wide curling arch of land was met immediately by the bay with high rise buildings mixing with the ancient ones right across the street from the jetties. The day was going to be blisteringly hot again and I wished I could have gotten at least close enough to see the waves. There was a beautiful bridge cutting across the bay with ornate towers in red and white, connecting to the spirling streets and heavy traffic. You could make out large landmarks of ancient structures surrounded by modern buildings. Even from this height you could see people dotting the pathway by the sea despite the heat, boats bobbing in the water, and the shadow of our two choppers blotting out things as we passed.

We'd taken Colette in our chopper with Samarah opting to put the most security as we possibly could on Anya. It was only a 45 minute flight and I'd assumed people would be chatting over the headsets but it was radio silence. I was grateful for it, I needed more time to think. After everything Samarah had said yesterday I hadn't been able to shake the realization that after we found the tomb I had no idea what we were going to do next. I'd just assumed Stellan had known, or that maybe the world would end as we know it and I'd be stuck in some apocalyptic fallout.

The chopper started its descent and another wave of worry fluttered through me as I attempted to quiet all my rapidly building concerns. Where exactly was this tomb? What were we going to find here? What was it going to do? What did 'the powers of Zeus' even mean? What part was I going to play? What happened if Lydia and Cole were here? Could I really murder them? What if I couldn't? Were we all willingly moving to our deaths? After everything I'd survived to get here - was this going to be the last thing I ever did?

A voice crackled over the headset in Arabic and then Samarah's next,

"Welcome to Alexandria."

After quickly darting off the roof of the building we'd all piled into an elevator and arrived in the lobby to see our cars waiting. Samarah had explained on the ride down that they had already done a sweep of the area we were going to, the cars were all armored to protect us, and she had a team of emergency professionals trailing us - just in case. She'd looked briefly at Luc and the panic bubbled up again. I internally frowned when I realized the reason for all her preparations was because of my awful track record around Circle heirs. We piled into the two waiting cars, the same configuration as the choppers, and started swerving down the streets of Alexandria.

You could already feel the heat building for the day, the window was starting to warm against my fingers. I watched as we flew past the main thoroughfare everything blurring until we finally had to stop at a light. I was surprised to see so many people out in this heat wave: street vendors with balloons and cotton candy, people hiding in the shade, men standing on the jetty and casting lines in the baking sun, women with their headscarves - I was surprised how many wore ones with colorful designs that accented their outfits, horse drawn carriages that mirrored the walking path against the water's edge.

But the further we moved away from the water the more claustrophobic it became. The streets seemed to stack on each other, the building leaned inward. Businesses were cramped, the electricity lines hung between the alleys, exposed and dangerous looking. There were more pieces of litter on the street than people. I'd assumed that when Samarah said it had been swept it meant making sure there weren't any suspicious looking people in the area. But then it hit me - everyone was suspicious, so they might have actually forced everyone out of the area just to be safe.

The cars slowed in front of a small street that held a large decorated arch. There were street vendor displays on either side of the bazaar, but I still didn't see any people. Samarah exited first and gestured toward the deserted street.

"The Alexander the Great Hotel is on the other side of this bazaar. It's easier to access if we go through it. I know this isn't optimal but it should only take an extra minute or so."

She moved in, two guards with her, Anya close behind and I watched as Luc and Jack immediately flanked Anya. Colette and Elodie linked up and started whispering in quick French and the guards shifted behind me before I felt Stellan thread his fingers through my own and gently start me on the path.

"I don't like this," I glanced around again. "It feels like a trap."

"That's because it is." He replied and I swallowed hard. We turned another corner, deeper into this maze of street venders and storefronts. I still hadn't seen any people. "We have no way of identifying the actual Order until I'm getting shot at. We have no idea of knowing how many Saxons are here and where they are stationed. We have no way of knowing who has been paid off, and what it was for. We have no guarantee that Samarah's people won't turn us over if the price is high enough, or lead us into a trap. No one speaks the language well enough to help and all of the alliances that Luc has been cultivating don't matter here."

"Then what are we doing?" I breathed. The hot wind picked up and the plastic tarp ceiling above us rustled with a loud smack making me jump Stellan responded squeezing my hand and tugging me closer to his side.

"You can feel it, can't you?" He whispered down to me. "The tomb is close."

I nodded. I did feel it. I had felt it since we got off the chopper. There was something about Alexandria that had sunk, immediately, into my bones. The brine of the ocean and the vibrations of history rising from the ground wrapped around me now. We were close. This felt different, even from finding each bracelet. I never would have considered myself someone that believed in the supernatural but there was no avoiding it now. Fate mapping, blood magic, witchcraft, whatever it is that filtered through centuries of birth and death had finally found its completion in Stellan and I. We could feel it pulling us toward our destiny on these deserted, cramped streets.

Up ahead Anya fluttered her fingers over a grouping of sparkly bracelets and necklaces, Colette helping her look through them all as Jack and Elodie darted glances around. The deeper we moved into the bazaar the risk increased. Flashes of news reports I'd seen during the Arab Spring popped into my mind and I tried to push them down. We were tourists, shopping, moving toward a relic next to an unassuming hotel - that was it. But you could feel the eyes on us. We stuck out as much as you could, and we were well off the main street - suspicious.

Stellan gave me another squeeze and then let go, moving ahead to Samarah's group at the front of our little cluster. I heard the guards behind us take a few extra steps to close rank and Luc immediately moved next to me.

"No shopping for you, your Majesty?" He brightly asked. It was too bright, the playful tone forced and tinny. I turned to give him a quick glance and wasn't expecting to see the fear rising in his eyes. I gave him a short smile,

"Haven't seen anything I like."

"Perhaps another bazaar?" He leaned toward me, knocking my shoulder a little and I couldn't tell if it had been to reassure me or himself. I shook my head. Stellan waved his arm above his head and then pointed toward the opening at the end of the street. The whole bazaar turned to look at him, the sun breaking through some holes in the plastic tarp ceiling and lighting up his blond hair.

"Looks like we've arrived," I calmly said to Luc. The guards behind us flipped their safety's off and everything in me clenched with panic. Luc reached between us to grab my arm, squeezing reassurance back into me and I let out a short breath as we quickened our pace to catch up to the rest of the group.

The bazaar ended at a main street that fed into a giant roundabout around a small circular park before splintering off into several different streets up ahead. On the other side of the circle were a few more shops, a restaurant, and the Alexander the Great Hotel. The walls of the park had vines winding through the stone and a layer of garbage covered in dust and plastered to the bottom edge against the sidewalk. I took a closer look at the restaurant across the street realizing it was closed, all the chairs stacked on top of the tables, the windows dark. The shops next door to it were closed as well. That might have been the only saving grace, coming during Ramadan meant everything was closed during the day. Closed businesses meant less bystanders and witnesses.

At the very last stall before the street was a display of beaded and bejeweled wallets and purses. Luc and I were still a few feet away and I watched as Anya picked up a purple one covered in beautiful golden beaded flowers. She turned toward me, holding it up, a huge smile on her face the piece sparkling in the pinpricks of light bleeding through the ceiling. The traffic started to roar past the opening at the end of the street, and a man stepped into the pathway, moving toward us as his arm rose.

It happened in quick succession in front of me. The incredibly loud BANG! Jack wrapping himself around Anya and crouching into a stall. Elodie and Colette whipping in our direction, panic across their faces. The sound of the bullet thudding into something solid next to me. The spray of blood hitting my face. The guards behind me fumbling for their guns and screaming in Arabic. Pressing my hands to my chest looking for a wound. And then Luc. Luc. No...no, not Luc.

I turned to him, his eyes wide with surprise, his hand coming up, slowly, to the hole on the left side of his shirt. We locked eyes for a moment and then the blood started rushing from the wound, trickling down the front of him as he slumped into me. I grabbed him, holding on as tight as I could to the dead weight and tried to lower him to the ground.

The bazaar erupted in chaos. The security detail pushed Samarah to the ground, the guards behind me advanced past us, screaming. Collette and Elodie were screaming. Men were appearing out of thin air, guns drawn. But all around me the world had closed in. Luc slid down my body to the dirty ground below us, I cradled his neck so his head wouldn't flop back. Then I took my shaking hands and pressed them as hard as I could against the wound.

"Avery." He whispered and I looked into his face, white already and sweaty. His glassy, panicked eyes locked with mine - purple on purple. "Promise me."

"You're not going to die." I pressed harder onto his chest. Behind me I heard gunfire open up, things crashing, Anya screaming.

"Promise me you'll protect him." He reached up and pressed his fingers over my own, his blood seeping through to stain his hands.

"Luc," I choked and then forced over the knot in my throat, "you are _not_ going to die."

"Lucian!" Colette yelled next to me and dropped to her knees. There were a few more gunshots further away from us and I looked up trying to make sense of the scene in front of me.

The two guards from behind me were standing over the body on the ground, obviously the shooter, but they were arguing with another cluster of obvious security detail. I didn't recognize them as Samarah's people, but the must have been - they were waving their guns around as if they were extensions of their hands. Jack had a sobbing Anya clinging to his chest as he attempted to move toward us. Elodie and Samarah were both making their way over, more security in different outfits following them. That's when I realized why I couldn't make sense of the scene - Stellan. Where was Stellan?

I looked around, thinking I must have missed him and then called out to Jack,

"Where is Stellan?"

That got everyone's attention immediately. All conversation stopped and then Anya let out a wailing sob breaking into a string of frantic sounding questions in Russian. Elodie and Samarah spun around looking and then Luc let out a horrible rasping sounding breath below me, snapping my attention back to him.

"Colette," I barked at her and she jumped. "Find something clean to put pressure on his wound."

She immediately ripped a scarf off a display and balled it up. I removed my hands and she shoved the fabric into place. Luc's hands, slick with his own blood, slipped off my own and I grabbed Colette's wrists and pressed her harder into Luc's chest.

"Samarah - ambulance?!" I screamed out toward her. She pointed down the bazaar where two men were jogging toward us bags of supplies in their hands. Luc reached up and grabbed the edge of my shirt and pulled, his eyes wild and panicked,

"Promise me," he rasped.

"Lucian," I grabbed his hand holding it between my own and squeezing, "I promise."

He closed his eyes, his hand going slack, and I fumbled toward him yelling his name as the paramedics landed next to us and started ripping open bags of things, pushing Colette and I out of the way. I sat back on my calves and looked back toward the rest of our group, the panic bubbling up and yelled out,

"Where the fuck is Stellan?!"

Jack stopped next to me, "he was right next to me. I swear to God."

There was a flutter of movement at the entrance to the street and I looked up to see someone take a few steps into our horror scene. It was obviously a man, he looked around the knot of guards and then the wind kicked up again, a spotlight of harsh desert sun landed on him and everything in me went cold.

Cole.

He sneered in our direction and then his eyes landed on me and he smiled, turned, and darted across the street. The rage, the boiling, rolling, all consuming rage that I had shoved down so deep inside me after the Paris Fashion Week broke open from it's cage burning out everything in its path. I closed my eyes for a moment relishing the release, taking in a breath of anticipation, then I clenched my fists on top of jeans, feeling the blood squelch between my fingers and it snapped me into action.

I roughly wiped my hands on my jeans, stood and turned to the group,

"Elodie get Anya to the hotel - the Order will protect her."

"Avery?" She looked at me confused. I pulled my gun from my holster behind my back, checking the magazine.

"Colette stay with Luc, don't leave his side - ever."

"Of course but," she started, still on the ground. I flipped the safety off my gun,

"If the worst occurs - get Anya out of Egypt."

"What are you…" Elodie took a step toward me and I took in another burning breath of vengeance.

"I'm going after Cole."

"Avery, no." Jack barked at me but I shook my head and with a final glance at all of them took off down the cramped pathway and darted across the street. In the harsh light of the approaching afternoon everything was illuminated and it only took me a second to see him arguing with someone near the entrance of the park, a few hundred feet in front of me.

Lydia.

She shoved him, he waved his gun at her and then they both turned in unison to see me. They froze and then saw something behind me that made them both dart in opposite directions. Cole veered left, Lydia veered right and behind me Jack yelled,

"Avery don't do this."

"Take Lydia alive." I yelled over my shoulder and sprinted to my left maneuvering around a bike rack to advance after Cole. He wheeled around a stone planter filled mostly with sand, then vaulted a wall into the courtyard of the park. I followed suit, our footfalls echoing across the concrete and sucked in a short breath as I tried to run faster. I was closing in on him, we were running out of courtyard and I tried to bring my gun up to shoot him in the back - but there was no way. Up ahead there was a line of overgrown bushes that separated the park with the businesses. If he made it to the bushes before me I might lose him. He could circle back into the park, he could hide, he could use the window of time between us where I'd be blind to dart toward one of the shuttered businesses.

A desperate cry tried to break from my throat. He vaulted over the small wall, only a few yards to the bushes, I vaulted over it next, scraping my arm on the bricks and then watched as someone emerged from the bushes and threw his arm out, clotheslining Cole to the ground. He fell with a loud thump, I skidded to a stop aiming my gun at Cole's chest and looked up to see Stellan.

Cole was frantically grabbing at his throat, no doubt having the wind knocked out of him, and Stellan took the remaining steps between them to kick the gun out of his hand into the bushes and then lean down to check him for more weapons. I was at the very edge of hyperventilating I was breathing so hard I put my hands above my head, the gun clunking against my skull as I tried not to panic. Cole regained his air and took in a wheezing breath before snarling,

"Fuck you Keeper."

Stellan kicked him near his ribs and he curled inward, rolling toward me. I couldn't keep my eyes off Cole. Prone, wheezing, sweating, dirty...he didn't look as dangerous as I knew him to be. He regained his breath a second time and looked up at me, nothing but fury in his eyes and rose a little to spat at the ground before growling at me,

"Took me three times but I finally killed Dauphin."

Stellan stepped over him and kicked his shoulder so hard he flipped onto his back. Cole let out a grunt of pain and then laughed.

"What did you say?" Stellan pulled out his gun and pointed it at his head.

"You can't kill me, I have too much information." Cole sneered and then laughed again before letting out a cough.

"Please," I snapped, "Lydia was the mastermind. You're just her errand boy."

Cole struggled to sit up and Stellan put his boot on his chest pinning him back down to the ground as he shouted,

"Errand boy?! You don't know anything bitch!"

Stellan's boot immediately came down onto Cole's throat. His eyes flew open with panic and he clawed at the shoe as his face turned red and the oxygen cut off. Stellan turned to me looking dangerously apathetic,

"Want me to kill him?"

"Not here. Where the hell did you go?" I dropped my arms at my side, my breath almost back. Cole started slapping at Stellan's boot his legs flailing around in the dirt.

"Order. We could take him to the hotel to interrogate him."

I looked down at Cole, desperately clawing and slapping at Stellan, his face a purple color, before his eyes rolled to the back of his head and everything on him twitched before going limp. I nodded, holstering my gun. Stellan released his boot from Cole's neck and I frowned down at him. Maybe I should have just let Stellan kill him - what could he possibly tell us that I wouldn't immediately think was a lie?

Stellan flipped him over and pulled out some zip ties from his pocket turning them into makeshift handcuffs. He grabbed Cole's limp arms and twisted him into the hold and then weaved his arms under Cole's armpits and pulled him up from the ground. The three of us moved, slowly, toward the courtyard of the motel - just a few hundred yards away.

"I heard a shot," Stellan lowly started and then broke off. I looked over at him, struggling with all the dead weight and then down at my bloody hands and clothes.

"Luc. I...I don't know...it seemed like it was right above his heart."

Stellan nodded a look of grim determination across his face as he drug Cole across the ancient cobblestones to a solid oak door in the center of a brick wall that created the courtyard for the Alexander the Great Hotel. He dropped Cole to the ground, unceremoniously, and then leaned toward the peephole on the door. Instantly we heard locks coming undone on the other side and then a shout a little down road,

"Please, please Jack." Lydia wailed. I turned to see him shove his gun into her back, pushing her forward. They closed the space to us quickly, despite her stumbling, sobbing, steps. Her hands were behind her back in handcuffs and she looked up at Stellan and I, her face streaked with mascara tinged tears.

"Avery! Avery! Please. Just listen to me. I have so much I can tell you, so much I've discovered. Please I," she stammered, leaning toward me despite her hands being tied, close enough to touch me. But her pleas cut off in her throat as Jack pressed his gun into her back and Stellan aimed his toward her face. I just stared at her, unsure what to believe - it could all be an act.

The door to the hotel swung open in front of us and Stellan barked out an order in Greek to the man dressed in all black. He immediately bowed and then quickly moved to grab Cole and drag him into the courtyard. Jack gave Lydia another rough shove with his gun and she let out a meep before stumbling into the courtyard as well. I followed and then turned to see the door swing shut, a series of invisible locks inside the door going off as it sealed.

The man that was dragging Cole through the empty cobblestone courtyard was jabbering quick sentences in Greek toward Stellan who nodded a few times and then turned to us,

"Elodie and Anya are in the lobby. They sent a few men to the hospital with Luc and Colette due to their closeness to the royal Family." Stellan stopped and then corrected without turning back to look at us, "our Family."

We moved quietly through the sparse courtyard, through another giant security door, through a dark and empty hallway, Lydia's sniffles echoing off the empty walls. It finally led us into the main lobby. You could tell that at one point this used to be an elegant entrance. The chandelier above us was dusty from neglect, the front desk's wood surface was warping with age, and the carpets below us were thoroughly beaten and balding. There was a small grouping of newer looking leather couches off to the left, by the staircase that lead upstairs, a modern and clean coffee table in the center. There were empty paper cups littering the space and a table lamp that was lit despite it being close to high noon.

The guard from the front door dropped Cole onto the ground, he let out a grunt of pain and then slowly started coming awake. Jack gave Lydia one more shove with his gun pushing her to stand near the prone body of her brother and then he circled her and pointed his gun at her face,

"On your knees."

She swallowed hard, nodding, and awkwardly made her way to the ground without the use of her hands. Cole shook awake and tried to move but quickly realized his hands were tied. Stellan rounded him and grabbed the front of his shirt to pull him to his knees. Cole swayed, looked around the group of us, eyed Lydia for a long moment and then sat back onto his calves taking raspy breaths. Stellan immediately trained his gun on Cole's face, a terrifyingly angry look on his own.

To the left of us there was a small sound and only I turned to see Anya's head peak over the top of one of the leather couches. I watched as she took in Jack pointing his gun at Lydia and then Stellan, his gun inches away from Cole's forehead. Elodie was trying to pull her back down but it was too late - she'd seen too much. The look of curiosity quickly turned to fear, her eyes glued to her brother who refused to even acknowledge her presence in the room. He and Jack were zeroed in to their targets, the years of training and abuse taking over. Anya's round eyes started to fill with tears, Elodie tried to pull her back down, roughly this time, and I took a step toward Stellan to whisper,

"Make them take Anya up to a room. She shouldn't see this."

Stellan, never looking away from Cole, inclined his head toward the front door guard and gave the order in Greek. He quickly moved toward Elodie and Anya gesturing toward the stairs. Anya's little fingers gripped into the top of the leather couch, going white from the pressure and then Elodie finally managed to rip her from her perch. She cradled her to the front of her but Anya's eyes never left us, or the violent scene escalating before her. I watched her bump up the stairs in Elodie's arms, the tears finally brimming over and running down her face, until they turned the corner and the five of us were alone.

I looked back down at Lydia, crossing my arms over my chest and ordered, "talk."

They both swayed on their knees for a moment and then Lydia looked up into the barrel of Jack's gun and clenched her jaw before starting,

"There is so much you don't know about our family and what we have. What we've done. What we could do if you could just…"

"Stop," I barked and held out my hand to her. "You misunderstood me. That wasn't an invitation to convince me. I'm killing both of you no matter what."

"With all this information?" Cole rasped. I turned to him and meanly smiled,

"I thought you were smarter. Either you tell me everything now and I kill you. Or I torture all the information out of you and then I kill you."

"You torture?" He sneered.

"I don't need to," I pointed to Lydia, "I bet every petal on that tattoo of hers would love the chance to torture you - information or not. I just need it, I don't care how I get it."

Cole shifted on his knees and Stellan moved closer, adjusting his gun. Cole glared up at him and then snapped at me,

"What is it with the women of this Family always leaving the dirty work to the men. You expect me to believe you when you have your Keeper with the gun on me. He doesn't even realize what's waiting for him here. How much power he can amass without you."

"Shut up Cole!" Lydia yelled at him, her eyes blazing.

"While your little group of deserters and traitors were getting clobbered by our people we were piecing together all the other mandates…"

"Shut the fuck up Cole!" Lydia yelled again inching toward him. Stellan and Jack moved forward simultaneously pressing the guns right to their foreheads and the siblings stilled.

"Everything you've ever told me was a lie. This is a lie too. I'm done stalling with you two, start talking or we're done here." I lowly said, simmering with rage. This was the gambit, bicker with each other to throw the rest of the group. Stellan and Jack took steps back, still silent and trained onto their individual targets analyzing their every move.

"He's not even my brother." Lydia spat, darting her eyes over to him. "That's what I've been trying to tell you, Avery. You shouldn't be placing your blame onto me for your mother's death. That wasn't part of my plan - he went rogue on me. Impatient and stupid just like his mother."

"Fuck you," Cole growled at her his voice cracking a little from his strangulation. I darted a glance at Jack, he looked as confused as I felt.

"What do you mean he's not your brother?"

"He's just another gamble our father took. A half brother from some non-Circle garbage. My only real sibling was Oliver. The Saxons have been breeding outside the Circle for generations attempting to produce a purple eyed girl." Lydia answered, glaring at Cole who was quickly turning red with rage.

"Breeding?" I choked on the word. "Like this is some kind of fucking husbandry experiment?"

"How do you think the Order managed to finally get him?" She nodded toward Stellan. "It's no accident. It's science. Not every experiment is worth keeping," she scowled at Cole. "But father thought he could have his uses."

I stood there, the vomit rising in my throat, shocked into silence. Had my mother known this? Was she Order when she agreed to this? Was this what Alistar was talking about when he said they thought they could change the Circle? I looked over at Stellan, still stone faced despite him hearing he'd been some experiment as well. Jack looked ill, but his eyes never wavered. Then Cole exploded with rage, swinging toward Lydia and leaning forward despite his hands being tied,

"At least I had the balls to do something with all that work. At least I tried to create a legacy for our family after all that sacrifice. You killed all those stupid first borns and they _still_ found each other and beat us to the tomb."

"Because the weapon was supposed to be used _after_ their ascension you dumbass. That way it would seem like it came from them and not us. That way we could blackmail her into staying." Lydia cracked back, flushing with rage. My brain was ringing with confusion, their fight echoing in my head.

"Enough!" I yelled over them. "Let's do this." I nodded toward Jack and Stellan. They shifted into position, adjusting their guns and both took a breath.

"Wait!" Lydia screamed and then started shaking. "Wait. I know all the bank accounts. I know where all the other heirs are. I can convince the other Families to take your side. I can give you all the information we found on the other mandates."

"Alistar can do that too." I nodded to Jack and Stellan again.

"No!" She yelled and then took a few shaking breaths. "We're family Avery. You're a Saxon. If you care about the Circle at all, if you want all that power to transfer, you have to…"

"You are not my family," I cut over her, my voice low and wavering with emotion. "I am not a Saxon. I don't care about the Circle, not in the way you think I should. So when I kill all of you and erase the Saxon name all that power will transfer to my real family. To the Korolov's. To the 13th Family and the rightful heirs of the Circle."

"And none of that will work if you don't activate that weapon in the tomb. You think you're so smart, you don't know shit." Cole snapped. "Useless just like your mother, she didn't give me any information either when I kept torturing her."

The rage swelled in me and I pulled my gun out from the holster and pointed it at him. I moved in front of Stellan and put the gun just millimeters in front of his forehead, right between the eyes. His face dropped into shock. Behind me I heard Stellan shift uncomfortably, Lydia and Jack froze next to me, and I locked eyes with Cole.

"All you've proven is that you're expendable." I growled at him.

"So do it then. Prove you can rule. Blood for blood. Or are you going to keep letting your Keeper boyfriends do all your dirty work?" He lowly rasped back, eyes wide and hard, daring me.

Lydia let out a noise of surprise to the right of me and I glanced over at her, Jack shaking his head at me, gun still pointed at her face, finger on the trigger. I could feel Stellan behind me, shifting anxiously unsure what I was about to do.

He was evil, there was no way around that. He'd killed so many people, so many more than Lydia had, and he was remorseless about it. It made him dangerous. But if I killed him just because he was getting in my way, because he was a liability, how did that make me any better than him? I adjusted my hands on the gun.

Maybe I wasn't as good as him. Maybe I was worse. Because everything in me was telling me to pull the trigger, to kill him and eliminate the threat he posed. Regardless of what it might do to the Circle. Regardless of what it might do to me. Vengeance.

"I knew you couldn't do it." He sneered. I tightened my finger on the trigger.

"Blood for blood." I flatly replied and checked my stance and position.

"Long live the Queen." He smiled and burrowed his eyes into my own.

"Avery don't." Stellan voice cracked behind me and I pulled the trigger.

I had expected it all to mute out in my ears, but instead I heard everything. The bang, the thud through his skull, the crack in the plaster on the wall behind him, Lydia's scream of terror, Jack fumbling his gun, Stellan's hard breath behind me, shuffling upstairs. I watched with detached fascination as Cole's eyes went blank, the furious evil no longer there, before his body started to slump to the left. He collapsed like a wave onto the ground, limply, and then continued to stare up at me, his blood quickly seeping into the filthy carpet under him, a giant stain of red pooling from his head.

The gun flopped to my side and I turned to look at Lydia next, her eyes wide with terror, sobbing screams of incoherent babbling spilling from her mouth as she collapsed onto her knees, her hands still cuffed behind her. Her cries were echoing in my mind, making me wince and I shook my head a few times. For all her bravado and scheming, she wasn't taking this development well, it annoyed me. I looked up the staircase to the group of Order members filing down the stairs and turned to Jack,

"Would you shut her up please."

He blinked at me, awestruck, and rose his gun again.

"Please, please, please…" she started blubbering moving on her knees toward him. He flipped the gun in his hand and cracked the butt of it across the back of her head. She instantly slumped to the ground.

"Gag her and put her in a different room until we're ready to leave." I directed to him. He stood there, staring at the bodies on the ground, lost. "Jack?"

He looked up at me, blinking, and then nodded, his voice low, "understood."

I looked at the Order members that were slowly circling our group and pointed to the one I recognized from the front gate, "clean this up and move his body somewhere secure. But no where near Anya."

He looked at me, dubious of the command for a moment, and I held up my left hand, rings out, up by my eyes. My hands were covered in Luc's blood. I almost gagged, so I tried to clear my throat to hide it.

" _Káne to_." Stellan commanded to the right of me. The monotone sound of his voice made a shiver of panic rise from my stomach. He'd told me to stop. What if I had been wrong? What if I'd made a mistake? I turned to look at him, but all his armor was up now. He looked hard and dangerous and I tried to quell the vibrating worry burning out all my vengeance.

The Order guard moved over to the body and I locked eyes with another one demanding,

"Where's the tomb?"

This one nodded instantly and started moving down the hallway toward the back of the hotel. I followed, Stellan silent and close behind me. From the corner of my eye I caught Jack lifting Lydia from the ground and my stomach turned again. My hand clenched around my gun sticky from all of Luc's blood and I gagged, clenching my mouth shut and letting out a hard breath through my nose to stop it.

The Order member kept moving, further down the long hallway of the hotel, discarded furniture and peeling wallpaper blended with the warped flooring, everything covered in a layer of sandy dust. I swallowed hard again my stomach rolling and souring the further I got from the lobby, the closer we got to the tomb.

We stopped at a small door and the Order member bowed and then brushed past us on his trip back to the front. Then we were alone. My destiny, my purpose, my future lay behind that door. My vengeance, my past, my consequences behind me. The image of Cole's lifeless eyes flashed across my mind and this time when the gag came I let out a small noise in my throat, trying to keep it down.

"Avery, are you," Stellan started to quietly ask and I abruptly turned away from him toward the dead potted palm tree in the corner and threw up all over it. I felt his hand tentatively touch my back and heaved again. When I stood back up I went to wipe my mouth only to remember my hands were covered in blood. I grabbed the bottom of my shirt and pulled it up to my mouth.

"Let's go," I rasped, my throat raw now. Stellan's hand brushed across my collarbones and he pulled my back to his chest, roughly, squeezing me against him.

"Wait." He whispered and I started whipping my head around the small hallway looking for what was coming for us. We were alone. I stilled and he turned me around in his grasp until we were face to face.

"What is it?" I whispered back, and looked up into his face washed out and anxious, his eyes pouring over me. I felt self conscious, covered in sweat and blood and vomit, my adrenaline fueled vengeance quickly ebbing from my veins.

He released me only to cup my face in his hands and press a kiss to my forehead. He pulled back and didn't let go.

"I love you." He simply said. My heart stopped, I stopped breathing, everything stopped in that small moment. His eyes locked onto mine and then everything sped up to double time, the scene seeming amplified to my senses.

This wasn't how I was supposed to hear this. Hearing it this way made it seem like one of us was about to die. Maybe I was. Maybe that's all I'd been good for. Vengeance and blood. I swallowed hard, panicking about how to respond. I loved him. God, I loved him. But if I said it back...what did that mean?

He swallowed, shifting nervously in my silence and the guilt washed over me. What did it matter? If I died, if he died, if we both died...he needed to know. He needed to know that I would do anything for him because,

"I love you."

He closed his eyes, pulled me against his chest and dropped his face into the crown of my head, breathing deeply. With one final squeeze he pulled back,

"Okay."

I looked up at him, terrified but determined. It shot me back to weeks ago, before the Paris Fashion Week, when everything had changed again. When I was just a prize to be won and he was just a Keeper. Then to Greece, sobbing into his shoulder as his arms wrapped tighter and tighter around me. When I was still Jack's and he was the third wheel. Then further back at the prom waiting for me to get into the car. When my eyes were brown and he was just some guy that could take me to my father. We had changed so many times together. I wasn't ready for this to be the last one. I prayed this wasn't the last one.

"Okay." I nodded back. He pushed open the door and we crossed through the threshold together.

The stairs started wide enough to fit both for us, but after about ten they squeezed down to a single file space. Dark flagstone steps, shallowly set and matching the surrounding walls, made the claustrophobic stairwell feel even smaller. They started to wind to the right in a quick tight circle, deeper and deeper into the ground. The walls were getting cooler, the steps were getting slippery. It was at fifty stairs down that the overhead lights they'd jimmy rigged stopped and we were left with an unending darkness in front of us. Behind me I felt Stellan shift and then the small stairwell was filled with light from his phone. I was tempted to look back at him, but all the adrenaline was out of me now and I didn't want him to see how panicky I felt. So instead I went down ten more steps in silence.

The stairs made a sharp left and stopped at a small archway. The air was stale down here, acidic and heavy with humidity. I slowly took a breath, pausing at the archway and put a hand to my chest, trying to slow my thudding heart. Stellan leaned into the back of me, holding his phone's flashlight in front of us and into the archway to reveal a small antechamber. There was nothing in there but a raised rectangle in the center of the floor. I took another breath, the sound loud in the absolute silence down here. You couldn't hear anything happening above us and I wondered how far down into the ground we were. It made a wave of panic ripple through me and I clenched my jaw against my churning stomach.

Stellan continued to examine the room from the archway with his phone, his heart hammering against my back and his body so hot it was starting to make me uncomfortable. I took a step away from him onto the stone of the entry and he yanked me back,

"Wait." He barked. "We don't know what's going to happen."

I paused, he leaned further into me, letting his arm cross the threshold to push light further into the antechamber and I curled into myself at first, trying to escape his heat before it clicked in my brain. He shouldn't be that hot. No one should be that hot. I flipped around in front of him, stepping across the threshold and gasped stumbling away in the same moment he tried to yank me back. I took a few more steps into the antechamber and he almost dropped his phone in his panic to grab me,

"Avery!"

"You're...that's not...oh god." I fumbled all over the words I wanted to say. Because how could I say them? How could this be real? How was all this happening?

"Get out of there!" He snapped at me and I shook my head, because now I understood. Centuries of Circle members had attempted to open this vault but couldn't because they didn't have the exact sequencing that Stellan did. They had all tried and failed because this was meant for him and him alone.

"We're supposed to be here. You're meant to be here." I quietly said as he frowned at me. I couldn't take my eyes off him or the faint glow just beneath the surface of his skin on every single scar he had from the fire. He clenched his jaw, beyond frustrated with me, and then stopped as he took in my face. Slowly he lowered his phone until it was flush against his pants, blotting out all the light it'd been giving us, and then looked at his left shoulder. Even in the absence of the flashlight I could see his body move as he carefully examined himself.

He attempted to say something and it died in his throat as an inaudible noise, then he just froze, unmoving in the silence. I shook myself out of it and crossed the few steps toward him, gently grabbing the phone out of his hand and shining it at our feet. It was still too dark in the room to see the tomb, but I could see him, lit from within and about to have a panic attack. I pressed my hand into his chest, hard, digging my fingers into the ribs protecting his wildly beating heart and evenly said,

"Magic skin, remember? This is part of the package."

He nodded, still unable to speak, and grabbed onto my wrist holding my hand against his chest as he tried to calm himself down. I waited, feeling his heartbeat slow as my wrist started to become uncomfortably hot from his touch. Finally he let me go and I peeled my sticky hand off his shirt and exhaled sharply before moving toward the tomb.

It was only a few feet off the ground, but was part of the ground. It seemed as if they'd surrounded it with concrete or plaster or something to make a smooth, seamless, surface between the floor and the tomb itself. I slowly circled it, letting the light from the phone catch on all the dark curves, illuminating intricate carvings on every side. It was all in a strange mix of symbols and letters the went from the topmost edge all the way into the floor. On the top of the tomb the surface was flat and unmarked but for a single, familiar, symbol dead center. My hand fluttered to my neck where my locket should have been and I squeezed my fingers into a fist, feeling the rings sticky from all the blood.

"Thirteen Circles." I whispered, though it filled the room as if I'd shouted it. I looked up from the tomb, the light sliding up Stellan's body with the motion to find him on the opposite side from me, staring at the symbol as well, still glowing through his t-shirt. "How do we open it?"

He blinked a few times, lost looking, and then closed his eyes, rolling his shoulders inward. It was so unlike him, so foreign to me, that the panic squeezed my heart, "does it hurt? Are you okay?"

He nodded, let out a hard breath and seemed to force himself to look at me before croaking, "I'll be fine."

"But you look like you're…" I dropped off. He ignored me and moved toward the tomb, leaning over it to examine the carving on the top more.

"Shine the light on it." He commanded and I leaned as well, careful not to touch the tomb itself. Once the light hit the symbol it shimmered, almost like it was moving. Stellan took a step closer, his boot making contact with some of the hieroglyphs and I held my breath, expecting the walls to start moving or some other horror movie scenario, but nothing happened. I took my own step closer and examined the symbol, the shimmering motion of the carving was familiar to me. Then I heard Stellan suck in a sharp breath in the same moment that I gasped,

"The bracelets."

We looked up at each other from across the tomb and dread filled my stomach. You needed our combined blood to open the bracelets. There would be a blood sacrifice after all. It was hard to tell how much. The bracelets needed very little, perhaps this was the same. But that fatalistic side of my brain knew it wasn't going to be a little blood. A few drops of blood had burned away some ancient gold. If I had been examining this room right it looked like we needed to break through concrete. That was going to take more than a few drops. I let out a shaky breath and looked down at my hands.

"No." Stellan's quick command filled the room and I snapped to attention the flashlight bouncing up into his eyes. He blinked away as he commanded again, "absolutely not."

"We have to do this." I quietly countered. I let the light drop and moved around the tomb toward him, stopping right in front of him. "Where's your knife?"

He started shaking his head and tried to cross his arms over his chest but stopped unable to move them. A grimace of pain, illuminated by his glowing scars, crossed his face. I let the phone slide over his body looking for the knife, finding a small switchblade in his back pocket. I pulled it out and he quickly grabbed my wrist before letting it go with a groan of pain. He tried to breath through it, curling further inward and hissing between his teeth,

"It's like I'm burning from the inside, all over again."

"Then let's do this fast," I flicked the knife open. He reached toward me and failed, forcing himself to say through the pain,

"You could die."

"You could be cured of whatever the hell this is. Dying was always going to be an option." I flipped the phone, light out, and held it under my chin against my chest. Then I held out my left arm in the cone of light and tried to find a part me that wasn't covered in someone else's blood. "It should probably be untainted." I mumbled, the balancing act making my words messy sounding.

I found a place on the inside of my arm, by the elbow, that was clean and brought the knife up only to see Stellan try to swat it out of my hand again,

"Nerves. Too many." He forced out. "Higher."

I looked up at him as best I could, still holding the phone against my chest and moved the knife up my skin until it hit the underside of my arm near the bicep. He nodded, and then pressed his lips together letting out a pained breath. I looked at the spot on my arm for a moment, planted my feet, adjusted the knife and prepared to cut when Stellan took in a big breath and grabbed the blade in his hand.

"Stop!" I fumbled, he drug his hand across the knife blade and then held up his bloody palm to me before dissolving into a breathy string of Russian cursing. I looked at the knife, dripping in his blood and before I could lose my nerve stabbed the underside of my bicep.

"Fuck!" I yelled and pulled the blade away to see my arm now smeared with his blood and my own, the knife covered in it. It was more painful than the stabbing in Prada had been, and bleeding a lot more. I moved my arm and watched a blossoming of blood push to the surface, maybe I cut too deep. Stellan let out a groan next to me and I looked over to see him glowing even brighter. I took a step, everything a little woozy now, and turned to the tomb. I slide the knife across the thirteen circles, making sure it pooled a bit in the very center and let the knife clatter onto the lid. The familiar popping and hissing started almost immediately and I took a few steps back, right into Stellan. I pressed my arm into my side and felt blood drip off my elbow, I'd cut too deep. I pulled my arm away, the side of my shirt now heavy with it, and shone the phone light onto the wound. Stellan glanced at it too, his eyes going wide as he took in how much blood I was losing.

POP!

We stumbled back, away from the tomb as the concrete started to break apart, making the air stir with every break. The symbol started to smoke, filling the small space with choking fumes. I coughed against it, holding my good arm up to my face to protect it. I pressed my wound as hard as I could into my side but the movement was painful and didn't stanch the steady stream down my arm all over the floor. The tomb let out another huge POP the top splintering out from the symbol and starting to cave in to itself. I moved toward it a step. Another POP, another break, another step. Except that this time light was starting to peek through the breaks. A golden, glowing light that was rapidly filling the room. I turned to Stellan to make sure he was seeing this too only to find him on his knees and hunched over himself.

I stumbled toward him, tried to touch his shoulder and pulled back - he was too hot to touch and really glowing now. He swayed on his knees, and I grabbed his shirt trying to steady him. Even his clothes were hot.

"Stellan," I yanked his shirt and his head lulled, like he'd passed out. I yanked again and he groaned. I let out a breath of relief and ordered, "Stay with me."

I looked back at the tomb, more light filling the room, and the lid finally caved in. I froze, expecting this to be the moment, sure something was going to come shooting out of the thing and kill us both on the spot. Stellan shirt started sliding out of my sticky hold and I broke my stare on the tomb to see his eyes roll into the back of his head as he fell over. I let the phone clatter to the ground as I tried to grab him with both hands, but he was too heavy. He hit the floor with a thud, my arm pulsed with pain, the floor started to rumble under my feet and the air around us electrically charged. The hair from my ponytail started to fluff out, the small hairs on my arms stood up and I realized I could see all of this because the room was filled with golden light now. For a few heartbeats everything stilled inside me. A deep calm spilled over all my limbs making me breathe when I should have been running. I closed my eyes and nodded to myself. So this was how it ended.

I opened my eyes and turned toward the tomb, squinting at the brightness of it, and then marveling at the self contained lightning storm that was shooting toward the low ceiling. The tendriled lines of lightning started to thread with each other, combining into larger and thicker streams. The humming sound of it started to build with crackling and snapping adding to the intensity. It was a terribly beautiful sight. I hit my knees before it, bleeding, out of breath and out of options. The streams combined again a wind kicking up from all the power, and I knew I had moments left. When all those streams combined I was sure, with everything in my being, that it would be the end of me.

I looked over at Stellan, glowing almost as brightly as the lightning, still completely passed out on the ground. The mandate had said the power would transfer to him. The powers of Zeus. He'd needed my blood to activate the weapon. Maybe he'd need it again for the transfer. I let that settle into my chest, knowing it was the right thing to do. The power had to go to him, it was the only way to protect him, to protect Anya, to protect everyone else. I shifted toward him on my knees, my jeans catching on the ancient stone, my blood dripping and pooling in my wake, until I was right in front of him.

I checked his pulse, thready and fast. I checked his breath, shallow and raspy. I put my hand over his heart. Behind me the lightning storm let out an almighty CRACK, filling the room with blinding light. I rose my injured arm up to shield my eyes, pressed my palm harder into Stellan's chest and turned toward it. The small antechamber vibrated around me with electricity, the bolt of lightning solidified into a single line, all the oxygen sucked from the room and my vision started to go black around the edges before everything exploded into white. The only sense I had left was touch, and as I felt myself start to pass out, I focused everything I had left on my hand on his chest and the beating of his heart. Then I gave into oblivion.

The End

* * *

A/N: So first - thanks to everyone that read this. I know this is a ridiculously small fandom so I'm glad you're here. Please leave me any kind of feedback, or hit me up so we can chat before the final book comes out. Second - many thanks to maidenpride that gently told me I couldn't end the story where it had originally ended. Third - big ups to trubie for confirming my re-write was needed for the ending and always supporting my crazy obsession with this series. Finally - thanks to Maggie Hall. She's the best and I'm so grateful she decided to share this fantastic universe with us.

 **Chapter Soundtrack**

Heathens - Twenty One Pilots

You Don't Get Me High Anymore - Phantogram

Sorry - Meg Myers

Elastic Heart - Sia ft. The Weeknd & Diplo


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